How to Obtain NOAA Fishing Permits

Are you an avid fan of “Deadliest Catch”? Do you spend your free weekends out on the water, fishing for hours on end? If angling is your passion in life, you may be thinking about making it into your profession. For many, the prospect of becoming a commercial fisherman is a dream come true. Before you can get your business off the ground, however, there are some formalities that you will need to take care of. First, you will need a boat that can handle the demands of commercial fishing. Next, you will need to upgrade your fishing gear to a more industrial grade. Finally, you will want to make sure that you have the necessary NOAA fishing permits to access your desired federal fisheries.

As you begin devising a business plan for your fishing outfit, there are some key determinations to arrive at. For a commercial fisherman, the main points are two-fold: what are you fishing for, and where will you be doing it? While clearing up those two pressing questions is fundamental to getting your business up and running, it can also go a long way in figuring out which National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) licenses you need. Read on to learn more about state and federal fishing permits.

The Differences Between State and NOAA Fishing Permits

The NOAA is a federal agency that serves a number of purposes. They monitor weather, issue forecasts, and manage United States fisheries. Part of that fisheries management responsibility is executed by issuing permits and licenses to commercial fishing operations on federal waters. As you can imagine, with such an expansive coastline, the U.S. is home to a sizable amount of water that falls within its jurisdiction. To simplify things a bit, the NOAA separates its permit offerings by region. As you can see on the top navigation of our website, these regions are Alaska, the Atlantic, the South, the West Coast, and the Pacific Islands.

In the United States, federal waters are everything from three to 200 nautical miles from the shore. The area before that will fall under the jurisdiction of the state that it borders. If you are fishing on these state waters, or on any inland freshwater areas, you will need to obtain a commercial fishing license from your state. While it can vary depending on your location, there is typically a base commercial fishing license and a series of species-specific endorsements that you can obtain as well.

Getting Your Fishing Permits the Easy Way

Whether you need a permit for Alaskan rockfish or American lobster in Maine, the Commercial Fishing Permits Center has you covered. We are a private service that specializes in helping commercial fishermen obtain the permits they need online via our one-stop, convenient website. We feature easy-to-fill online applications for both state and NOAA commercial fishing licenses, so you can get everything you need in just minutes.

Take a moment to browse our website and our FAQ page. You can also contact one of our customer service agents by phone or email to get answers to any questions that you may have.