Get Replacement Permit Cards Through Our “Request for Duplicate License”
At our site, you can request a replacement permit card as well as a vessel license receipt, license sticker, and vessel triangle metal plate.
Use this link for a Request for Duplicate License.
Alaska Commercial Fishing Permits and License Assistance
Here at the Commercial Fishing Permits Center, we help commercial fishing professionals to acquire and maintain all of the licensing, permits, and documentation they need to be in compliance as they fish in around Alaska as well as the rest of the country.
The following Alaskan laws may provide more information:
679.4 Permits.
(a) Requirements. Only persons who are U.S. citizens are authorized to receive or hold permits under this section, with the exception that an IFQ hired master permit or a CDQ hired master permit need not be held by a U.S. citizen.
(2) Permit and logbook required by participant and fishery. For the various types of permits issued, refer to § 679.5 for recordkeeping and reporting requirements. For subsistence and GAF permits, refer to § 300.65 of this title for recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
(3) Permit application —
(i) Obtain and submit an application. A person may obtain an application for a new permit or for renewal or revision of an existing permit for any of the permits under this section and must submit forms to NMFS as instructed in application instructions. With appropriate software, all permit applications may be completed online and printed from the Alaska Region website at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.
(ii) Deficient application. Upon receipt of an incomplete or improperly completed permit application, the Program Administrator, RAM, will notify the applicant of the deficiency in the permit application. If the applicant fails to correct the deficiency, the permit will not be issued. No permit will be issued to an applicant until a complete application is received.
(iii) Separate permit. The operator, manager, Registered Buyer, or Registered Crab Receiver must obtain a separate permit for each applicant, facility, or vessel, as appropriate to each Federal permit in this section.
(iv) The information requested on the application must be typed or printed legibly.
(v) All permits are issued free of charge.
(4) [Reserved]
(5) Alteration. No person may alter, erase, mutilate, or forge any permit or document issued under this section. Any such permit or document that is intentionally altered, erased, mutilated, or forged is invalid.
(6) Disclosure. NMFS will maintain a list of permitted processors that may be disclosed for public inspection.
(7) Sanctions and denials. Procedures governing sanctions and denials are found at subpart D of 15 CFR part 904. Such procedures are required for enforcement purposes, not administrative purposes.
(8) Harvesting privilege. Quota shares, permits, or licenses issued pursuant to this part are neither a right to the resource nor any interest that is subject to the “takings” provision of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Rather, such quota shares, permits, or licenses represent only a harvesting privilege that may be revoked or amended subject to the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable law.
(9) Permit surrender.
(i) The Regional Administrator will recognize the voluntary surrender of a permit issued in this section, if a permit may be surrendered and if it is submitted by the person named on the permit, owner of record, or authorized representative.
(ii) Submit the original permit, except for an FFP or an FPP, to NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802. For surrender of an FFP and FPP, respectively, refer to paragraphs (b)(3)(ii) and (f)(3)(ii) of this section.
(iii) Objective written evidence is considered proof of a timely application. The responsibility remains with the sender to prove when the application to amend or to surrender a permit was received by NMFS (i.e., by certified mail or other method that provides written evidence that NMFS Alaska Region received it).
(iv) For applications delivered by hand delivery or carrier only, the receiving date of signature by NMFS staff is the date the application was received. If the application is submitted by fax or mail, the receiving date of the application is the date stamped received by NMFS.
(b) Federal fisheries permit (FFP) —
(1) Requirements.
(i) No vessel of the United States may be used to retain groundfish in the GOA or BSAI or engage in any fishery in the GOA or BSAI that requires retention of groundfish, unless the owner or authorized representative first obtains an FFP for the vessel, issued under this part. An FFP is issued without charge. Only persons who are U.S. citizens are authorized to receive or hold an FFP.
(ii) Each vessel within the GOA or BSAI that retains groundfish must have a legible copy of a valid FFP on board at all times.
(2) Vessel operations categories. An FFP authorizes a vessel owner or authorized representative to deploy a vessel to conduct operations in the GOA or BSAI under the following categories: Catcher vessel, catcher/processor, mothership, tender vessel, or support vessel. A vessel may not be operated in a category other than as specified on the FFP, except that a catcher vessel, catcher/processor, mothership, or tender vessel may be operated as a support vessel.
(3) Duration —
(i) Length of permit effectiveness. NMFS issues FFPs on a three-year cycle and an FFP is in effect from the effective date through the expiration date, as indicated on the FFP, unless the FFP is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under § 600.735 or § 600.740 of this chapter.
(ii) Surrendered permit —
(A) An FFP may be voluntarily surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section. Except as provided under paragraphs (b)(3)(ii)(B) and (C) of this section, if surrendered, an FFP may be reissued in the same fishing year in which it was surrendered.
(B) For the BSAI, NMFS will not reissue a surrendered FFP to the owner or authorized representative of a vessel named on an FFP that has been issued with endorsements for catcher/processor or catcher vessel operation type; trawl, pot, and/or hook-and-line gear type; and the BSAI area, until after the expiration date of the surrendered FFP as initially issued.
(C) For the GOA, NMFS will not reissue a surrendered FFP to the owner or authorized representative of a vessel named on an FFP that has been issued a GOA area endorsement and any combination of endorsements for catcher/processor operation type, catcher vessel operation type, trawl gear type, hook-and-line gear type, pot gear type, and/or jig gear type, until after the expiration date of the surrendered FFP.
(D) An owner or authorized representative, who applied for and received an FFP, must notify NMFS of the intention to surrender the FFP by submitting an FFP application found at the NMFS Web site at http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov and indicating on the application that surrender of the permit is requested. Upon receipt and processing of an FFP surrender application, NMFS will withdraw the FFP from active status in the FFP data bases.
(iii) Amended permit —
(A) An owner or authorized representative who applied for and received an FFP, must notify NMFS of any change in the permit information by submitting an FFP application found at the NMFS Web site at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. The owner or authorized representative must submit the application form as instructed on the form. Except as provided under paragraphs (b)(3)(iii)(B) and (C) of this section, upon receipt and approval of an application form for permit amendment, NMFS will issue an amended FFP.
(B) In the BSAI, NMFS will not approve an application to amend an FFP to remove a catcher/processor or catcher vessel operation type endorsement, trawl gear type endorsement, pot gear type endorsement, hook-and-line gear type endorsement, or BSAI area endorsement from an FFP that has been issued with endorsements for catcher/processor or catcher vessel operation type, trawl, pot, or hook-and-line gear type, and the BSAI area.
(C) In the GOA, NMFS will not approve an application to amend an FFP to remove endorsements for catcher/processor operation type, catcher vessel operation type, trawl gear type, hook-and-line gear type, pot gear type, or jig gear type, and the GOA area.
(D) If the application for an amended FFP required under this section designates a change or addition of a vessel operations category or any other endorsement, a legible copy of the valid, amended FFP must be on board the vessel before the new or modified type of operation begins.
(E) Selections for species endorsements will remain valid until an FFP is amended to remove those endorsements or the FFP with these endorsements is surrendered or revoked.
(4) Submittal of application. NMFS will process a request for an FFP provided that the application form contains the information specified on the form, with all required fields accurately completed and all required documentation attached. This application form must be submitted to NMFS using the methods described on the form. The vessel owner must sign and date the application form certifying that all information is true, correct, and complete. If the owner is not an individual, the authorized representative must sign and date the application form. An application form for an FFP will be provided by NMFS or is available from NMFS Alaska Region Web site at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. The acceptable submittal methods will be described on the application form.
(5) Issuance.
(i) Except as provided in subpart D of 15 CFR part 904, upon receipt of a properly completed permit application, the Regional Administrator will issue an FFP required by this paragraph (b).
(ii) The Regional Administrator will send an FFP with the appropriate logbooks to the owner or authorized representative, as provided under § 679.5.
(iii) NMFS will reissue an FFP to the owner or authorized representative who holds an FFP issued for a vessel if that vessel is subject to sideboard provisions as described under § 679.82(d) through (f).
(iv) NMFS will reissue an FFP to the owner or authorized representative who holds an FFP issued to an Amendment 80 vessel.
(6) Transfer. An FFP issued under this paragraph (b) is not transferable or assignable and is valid only for the vessel for which it is issued.
(7) Inspection. A legible copy of a valid FFP issued under this paragraph (b) must be carried on board the vessel at all times operations are conducted under this type of permit and must be presented for inspection upon the request of any authorized officer.
(c) [Reserved]
(d) IFQ permits, IFQ hired master permits, and Registered Buyer permits. The permits described in this section are required in addition to the permit and licensing requirements prescribed in the annual management measures published in the Federal Register pursuant to § 300.62 of this title and in the permit requirements of this section.
(1) IFQ permit.
(i) An IFQ permit authorizes the person identified on the permit to harvest IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish from a specified IFQ regulatory area at any time during an open fishing season during the fishing year for which the IFQ permit is issued until the amount harvested is equal to the amount specified under the permit, or until the permit is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under 15 CFR part 904.
(ii) A legible copy of any IFQ permit that specifies the IFQ regulatory area and vessel length overall from which IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish may be harvested by the IFQ permit holder must be carried on board the vessel used by the permitted person to harvest IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish at all times that such fish are retained on board.
(iii) An IFQ permit may be voluntarily surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section. An annual IFQ permit will not be reissued in the same fishing year in which it was surrendered, but a new annual IFQ permit may be issued to the quota share holder of record in a subsequent fishing year.
(iv) An RFQ permit account identifies the amount of RFQ authorized for use by charter vessel anglers in Area 2C or Area 3A. The number of pounds of RFQ allocated to the RFQ permit account will be added to the annual guided sport catch limit under the catch sharing plan (described at 50 CFR 300.65(c)) for the appropriate IFQ regulatory area, Area 2C or Area 3A.
(2) IFQ hired master permit.
(i) An IFQ hired master permit authorizes the individual identified on the IFQ hired master permit to land IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish for debit against the specified IFQ permit until the IFQ hired master permit expires, or is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under 15 CFR part 904, or cancelled on request of the IFQ permit holder.
(ii) A legible copy of an IFQ hired master permit issued to an eligible individual in accordance with § 679.42(i) and (j) by the Regional Administrator must be onboard the vessel that harvests IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish at all times that such fish are retained onboard by a hired master. Except as specified in § 679.42(d), an individual that is issued an IFQ hired master permit must remain onboard the vessel used to harvest IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish with that IFQ hired master permit during the IFQ fishing trip and at the landing site during all IFQ landings.
(iii) Each IFQ hired master permit issued by the Regional Administrator will display an IFQ permit number and the name of the individual authorized by the IFQ permit holder to land IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish for debit against the IFQ permit holder’s IFQ. In addition, IFQ hired master permits will also display the ADF&G vessel identification number of the authorized vessel.
(iv) An IFQ hired master permit may be voluntarily surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section. An IFQ hired master permit may be reissued to the permit holder of record in the same fishing year in which it was surrendered.
(3) Registered Buyer permit.
(i) A Registered Buyer permit authorizes the person identified on the permit to receive and make an IFQ landing by an IFQ permit holder or IFQ hired master permit holder or to receive and make a CDQ halibut landing by a CDQ permit holder or CDQ hired master permit holder at any time during the fishing year for which it is issued until the Registered Buyer permit expires, or is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under 15 CFR part 904.
(ii) A Registered Buyer permit is required of:
(A) Any person who receives IFQ halibut, CDQ halibut or IFQ sablefish from the person(s) who harvested the fish;
(B) Any person who harvests IFQ halibut, CDQ halibut or IFQ sablefish and transfers such fish in a dockside sale, outside of an IFQ regulatory area, or outside the State of Alaska.
(C) A vessel operator who submits a Departure Report (see § 679.5(l)(4)).
(iii) A Registered Buyer permit is issued on an annual cycle defined as March 1 through the end of February of the next calendar year, to persons that have a Registered Buyer application approved by the Regional Administrator.
(iv) For the Registered Buyer application to be considered complete, all fees due to NMFS under § 679.55 at the time of application must be paid.
(v) A Registered Buyer permit is in effect from the first day of March in the year for which it is issued or from the date of issuance, whichever is later, through the end of the current annual cycle, unless it is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under § 600.735 or § 600.740 of this chapter.
(vi) A Registered Buyer permit may be voluntarily surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section. A Registered Buyer permit may be reissued to the permit holder of record in the same fishing year in which it was surrendered.
(4) Issuance. The Regional Administrator will issue IFQ permits and IFQ hired master permits annually or at other times as needed to accommodate transfers, revocations, appeals resolution, and other changes in QS or IFQ holdings, and designation of masters under § 679.42.
(5) Transfer. The quota shares and IFQ issued under this section are not transferable, except as provided under § 679.41. IFQ hired master permits and Registered Buyer permits issued under this paragraph (d) are not transferable.
(6) Inspection —
(i) IFQ permit and IFQ hired master permit.
(A) The IFQ permit holder must present a legible copy of the IFQ permit for inspection on request of any authorized officer or Registered Buyer receiving IFQ species.
(B) The IFQ hired master permit holder must present a legible copy of the IFQ permit and a legible copy of the IFQ hired master permit for inspection on request of any authorized officer or Registered Buyer receiving IFQ species.
(ii) Registered Buyer permit. A legible copy of the Registered Buyer permit must be present at the location of an IFQ landing or CDQ halibut landing and must be made available by an individual representing the Registered Buyer for inspection on request of any authorized officer.
(7) Validity. An IFQ permit issued under this part is valid only if the IFQ permit holder has paid all IFQ fees that are due as a result of final agency action as specified in §§ 679.45 and 679.5(l)(7)(ii).