Commercial Fishing

Commercial Fishing Regulations

• 2025 California Commercial Fishing Digest (PDF)
  Regulations effective April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026, unless otherwise noted
• Interactive Marine Protected Area Map
  Find marine protected areas and more from your mobile phone!
• Commercial Fishing Seasons Calendar (PDF)
• California Code of Regulations Title 14
• Fish and Game Code
• New and Proposed Regulations (Fish and Game Commission)
• In-Season Regulation Changes
• Rockfish Conservation Areas
• Federal Groundfish Regulations
• State Groundfish Regulations
• Whale-Safe Fisheries
• California Marine Protected Areas Maps and Regulations
• Marine Aquaculture
• Health Advisories and Fishery Closures
• Key Landmark References
• Commercial Fishing Districts
• CDFW Commercial Fishing Block Charts
  • Northern California (PDF)
  • Central California (PDF)
  • Southern California (PDF)

Report Your Catch

Commercial Landings

Licenses and Permits

• Commercial Fishing Licenses
• Commercial Fishing License Descriptions and Fees
• Commercial Fish Business Licenses
• Online License Sales and Service
• Experimental Fishing Permits
• Far Offshore Fishing Forms

Frequently Asked Questions

• Fishery Disaster Information
• California Spiny Lobster FAQs
• Coastal Pelagic Fish, Highly Migratory Fish, and Squid FAQs
• Dungeness and Rock Crab FAQs
• Experimental Fishing Permits FAQs
• Marine Protected Areas FAQs
• Pacific Halibut FAQs

Lost Fishing Gear

Lost fishing gear—both commercial and recreational—sits on the seafloor, gets caught on rocks, and floats in the water column. Lost gear can remain in the marine environment for years, harming habitats and continuing to catch fish and invertebrates.

Please report sightings of lost recreational and commercial fishing gear. Anonymous reports are accepted.

1-888-491-GEAR or seadocsociety.org

Contact Us

• Commercial Licenses | Call (916) 928-5822
• Marine Region