FRESH WATER

LICENSES AND PERMITS

      Recreational licenses and permits for residents and nonresidents are available at county tax collectors' offices. In addition, they are available from subagents, such as sporting goods stores or other retailers selling hunting or fishing equipment. All license, permit, and issuance fees may be subject to change pending the outcome of this year's legislative session. Prices listed include tax collector's fee. In addition to the cost of a license or permit given in this section, an issuance fee of $.50 may be charged by the subagent selling the license or permit.

If you have a major credit card, the Florida Wildlife Commission offers you two ways to buy your hunting or fishing license without leaving your home:

•  Dial toll-free, 1-888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356) from anywhere in the United States or Canada. (A $3.25 + 2.5% surcharge of total sale per person will be added to your purchase), and

• Buy your license directly over the internet at https://www3.wildlifelicense.com/fl/start.php. *(A $2.25 + 2.5% surcharge of total sale per person will be added to your purchase)

With either method, you'll have a temporary license number within minutes, enabling you to hunt (in season) or fish right away. Your permanent license will be mailed within 48 hours.

     The law says anyone who takes, attempts to take, or possesses marine fish for noncommercial purposes must have a saltwater fishing license, except for those qualifying for exemptions listed below.

Florida Residents

     When applying for a freshwater fishing license, you are considered to be a Florida Resident if you are:

-- any person who has resided in this state for six continuous months prior to the issuance of a license and who has an intent to continue to reside in Florida as their primary residence.

-- any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who is stationed in this state (includes spouse and dependent children residing in household).

     Florida residents may buy a lifetime freshwater fishing license or a lifetime sportsman license. Holders of lifetime freshwater fishing licenses may fish in freshwater as long as they live and will pay no additional fees.  A lifetime sportsman license allows holders to fish in fresh water or salt water and to hunt in Florida. Both of these licenses require holders to obey fishing or hunting laws in effect at any given time. Costs for the four types of licenses:

*    Tax collectors and the bait-and-tackle shops that act as their
agents will assess an additional service charge of $1.50 or $2.00 per license. *

-- Florida residents 65 years of age or older who possess either a Resident Senior Citizen Hunting and Fishing Certificate, or proof of age and residency

-- A Florida resident who is 65 years old or older.

-- A Florida resident who is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, who is not stationed in this state, while on leave for 30 days or less, upon submission of orders. This does not include family members.

-- A Florida resident who is fishing for mullet in fresh water--with a valid Florida fresh water license.

-- A Florida resident who is fishing for saltwater fish in fresh water from land or from a structure fixed to the land.

-- Under 16 years of age.

-- Any resident fishing in the county of his or her residence with live or natural bait, using poles or hand lines without a reel or other line retrieval mechanism (cane pole), for noncommercial purposes.

-- Fishing from a boat that has a valid recreational vessel freshwater fishing license.

-- Anyone fishing in a private fishing pond less than 20 acres. A private pond is a man-made pond constructed for the primary purpose of fishing, entirely within the property lines of the owner and with no surface water connection to public waters.

-- Anyone fishing in a private pond of 20 acres or more where the pond owner has purchased a fish pond license at a fee of $3 per surface acre.

-- A non-resident fishing from a pier that has a valid pier saltwater fishing license.

-- Any person fishing in their county of residence on the homestead of their spouse or minor child, or any minor child fishing on the homestead of their parent.

-- Anyone fishing in the St. Marys River or Lake Seminole (but not including tributary creeks in Florida), who has a valid Georgia fishing license.

-- A holder of a valid commercial saltwater products license. (Only one person fishing under a vessel saltwater products license may claim the exemption on the vessel for which the saltwater product license is registered.)

-- Anyone fishing during Free Fishing Weekend, April 4-5, 2009.

-- Any person who has been accepted as a client for development services by AHCA (Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration) or any licensed provider of services through contract with AHCA, where such service involves the need, normally, for possession of saltwater fishing license and such service is provided as part of a court-decided rehabilitation program involving training in Florida's aquatic resources.

     A Florida resident who is certified permanently and totally disabled may obtain a "disabled persons certificate" which allows them to fish in both saltwater and freshwater at no charge from a county tax collector.

     The money collected from freshwater fishing licenses is used to improve and restore fish habitat and for marine fisheries research, law enforcement, and public education on marine resources.