An Overview of California Commercial Fishing Licenses

Are you thinking about starting a career in commercial fishing? If so, you should consider yourself lucky. Getting to spend your days out on the water, with the wind and sun on your face is a true privilege. Not to mention, fishing for a living is a far cry from the 9 to 5 cubicle life. Of course, this line of work can be challenging both physically and mentally. You will need to be prepared for long hours out at sea, sometimes in difficult weather, handling unwieldy, dangerous equipment. If you are up for the challenge, though, industrial fishing can be a lucrative field, and there are not many better destinations in the United States than the coast of California. With more than one thousand miles of coastline and well-stocked fisheries from San Diego up to San Francisco, the Golden State is a major hub of commerce for commercial and industrial fishing operations.

Before you can untie from the dock and drop your nets in the pacific, you will have some preliminary matters to address first. You will want to make sure that your boat is adequately equipped for fishing, carrying a first aid kit, and enough life jackets for your crew. You also want to make sure that you have the proper permits to commercially fish in California. Our fisheries are an important resource, and by issuing licenses, state and federal authorities are able to prevent overfishing so that our waters are well-stocked for future generations to enjoy.

Obtaining California Commercial Fishing Permits

Before you can start filling out applications for fishing permits, you will first want to determine where you will be casting your lines. Specifically, you will want to consider whether you will be fishing in state waters, federal waters, or both. At the state level, fishing permits are issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. State waters encompass the area from shore to three nautical miles out. California offers commercial fishing licenses for both residents and non-residents alike (though with different fees), and additionally, you can obtain endorsements for specific species, such as shrimp, anchovies, and salmon.

Federal Fishing Licenses

Federal waters are the area from three to 200 nautical miles from shore. Permits to fish in federal waters are issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This agency separates out their permits by region, and for California fishermen, the most applicable region would be the west coast. You can obtain a number of different commercial fishing permits from the NOAA, many of which are species-specific.

Get Your Permits Online Today!

Whether you need state or federal permits, you have a couple of options for acquiring them. You can visit the websites of the California Department of Wildlife or the NOAA and download PDF applications, which you can then print out, fill in by hand, and mail in for processing. You can also work with us at the Commercial Fishing Permits Center. We offer easy-to-complete web forms for all of your fishing license needs. Take a moment or two to browse our website and see how we can help you.