Commercial Fishing Licenses

Requirements

Commercial Fishing License Requirement

Before a non-restrictive commercial fishing permit can be issued, an applicant must possess a valid commercial fishing license (resident or non-resident).

You can renew your Commercial Fishing Licenses online or at select license agents. Use the License Agent Search to find an authorized sales agent nearby. Licenses purchased online or at a license agent will include a 5% non-refundable license agent handling fee.

Commercial Boat Registration Requirement

Required for any resident or non-resident owner, or operator for any vessel operated in public waters in connection with fishing operations for profit in this State; or which, for profit, permits persons to sport fish.

Limited Entry and Restricted Access Permits

These permits are issued only to pre-qualified commercial fishermen or vessel owners. "Limited entry fishery" means a fishery in which the number of persons who may participate or the number of vessels that may be used in taking a specified species of fish is limited by statute or regulation (FGC §8100).

Notice: Non-Resident Fee Differential Reinstated

Effective February 1, 2018, CDFW resumed charging differential non-resident fees for commercial fishing licenses, commercial vessel registrations, Dungeness crab vessel permits, and herring gill net permits. In November 2013, the department discontinued charging these differential non-resident fees following a judgment in a lawsuit brought against the state (Marilley, et al. v. Bonham, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 149198). The state appealed this decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and ultimately prevailed following a hearing in June 2016. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case in October 2017. As a result, the department resumed charging the differential fees under California law. In doing so, CDFW brought the fees current by applying the Implicit Price Deflator as required by Fish and Game Code section 713.

For questions regarding this notice, contact us at LRBCOMM@Wildlife.ca.gov.

Forms and Applications

• Affidavit / AFF (PDF)
• Certificate of Nonreceipt / CNR (PDF)
• Commercial Boat Registration Worksheet (PDF)
• Commercial Fisherman Change of Address (PDF)
• Commercial Fishing License Worksheet (PDF)
• Commercial Aircraft Registration Application (PDF)
• Crayfish Permit Application (PDF)
• Credit Card Authorization Form (PDF)
• Land CA Caught Fish At Points Outside of CA Permit Application (PDF)
• Reporting Sold, Lost, Or Destroyed Commercial Fishing Vessel Form (PDF)
• Request for Verification of Commercial Fishing License Records (PDF)
• Take Inland Or Freshwater Fish Permit Application (PDF)

Transfer of Limited Entry Permits

• California Halibut Bottom Trawl Vessel
  • California Halibut Bottom Trawl Vessel Permit Transfer Application (PDF)
• Dungeness Crab Vessel
  • NEW! Dungeness Crab Vessel Permit Biennial Buoy Tag Shipment Notice (PDF)
  • Dungeness Crab Vessel Permit Biennial Buoy Replacement Tag Notice (PDF)
  • Dungeness Crab Vessel Permit Transfer Application (PDF)
  • Lost or Abandoned Commercial Dungeness Crab Trap Gear Retrieval Permit Application (PDF)
  • Lost or Abandoned Commercial Dungeness Crab Trap Gear Retrieval Permit Amendment (PDF)
  • Trap Gear Retrieval Logbook (PDF)
  • Notice Of Deadline To Apply For Between-Season Replacement Dungeness Crab Buoy Tags (PDF)
  • Between Season Replacement Dungeness Crab Buoy Tag Affidavit (PDF)
  • In Season Replacement Dungeness Crab Buoy Tag Affidavit (PDF)
• General Gill/Trammel Net
  • Transfer Provisions for General Gill/Trammel Net Permits
• Lobster Operator
  • Lobster Operator Permit Transfer Application (PDF)
  • Lobster Operator Permit Catastrophic Lost Trap Tag Affidavit (PDF)
  • End of Season Spiny Lobster Trap Loss Reporting Affidavit (PDF)
• Market Squid Vessel
  • Market Squid Vessel Permit Transfer Provisions (PDF)
  • Market Squid Brail Permit Transfer Provisions (PDF)
  • Market Squid Light Boat Permit Transfer Provisions (PDF)
  • Upgrade Market Squid Light Boat Permit to Market Squid Brail Permit Provisions (PDF)
• Nearshore Fishery
  • Nearshore Fishery Permit Transfer Provisions
  • Nearshore Fishery Trap Endorsement Transfer Provisions
  • Nearshore Fishery Permit and Nearshore Fishery Trap Endorsement Transfer Application (PDF)
  • Deeper Nearshore Species Fishery Permit Transfer Application (PDF)
• Northern Pink Shrimp Trawl
  • Northern Pink Shrimp Trawl Vessel Permit Transfer Application (PDF)
• Pacific Herring
  • New Important Herring Information (PDF)
  • Commercial Pacific Herring Renewal Notice (PDF)
• Salmon Vessel
  • Commercial Salmon Vessel Permit Transfer Application (PDF)
  • Commercial Salmon Troller License Fee Expenditures (PDF)
• Sea Cucumber (Dive or Trawl)
  • Commercial Sea Cucumber Permit Transfer Provisions
• Sea Urchin Diving
  • How to Apply for the Sea Urchin Diving Permit Drawing Online (PDF)
  • Sea Urchin Diving Permit Assistant
• Southern Rock Crab Trap
  • Southern Rock Crab Trap Permit Transfer Provisions (PDF)
• Spot Prawn Trap (Tier 1/2/3)
  • Spot Prawn Trap Vessel Permit Transfer Provisions (PDF)

Contact

Commercial Fishing and Fish Businesses
(916) 928-5822 | LRBCOMM@Wildlife.ca.gov

Related Information

• E-Tix Information
• Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (CPFV) Logs
• Commercial Fishing FAQ
• Commercial Fishing Laws and Regulations
• License Sales Statistics