People that love fishing love to fish everywhere. However, there are states that do not allow you fishing here and there. In this case, the state offers a license that works as approval for your fishing. If you live in Maryland or you want to visit Maryland, you must know that Maryland has amazing sports for fishing and crabbing.
So, if you are planning to spend and a remarkable weekend, you can go for fishing in Maryland waters. But as per the requirements of the state, you will need a license.
Here, we will talk about different licenses that are available for the anglers. There are several types of licenses. You can choose anyone from the list that suits your criteria! Go fishing, go fun!
Fishing License
You might be thinking that there are so many states where a fishing license is not required. On the other hand, fishing license is a very important thing when it comes to fishing in some specific states. A fishing license is known be one of the most important gears before you get ready with your fishing gear. No matter you are selecting the reptiles or amphibians; you will still require a fishing license of your states which shows that you are allowed to fish there.
When you think that fishing license is not an essential paper for fishing, think again! There are some states also where you are not allowed to catch and again fish back into the water. Yes, even if you agree to catch fish and then releasing them once again into the water, some states will not approve it.
So, we can say that every state has its own requirements for a fishing license. There are exceptions too. There are also states that usually share the same water body. Just like Alabama and Georgia share the same water and so, in this case, the license is same for both of the states.
When it comes to a fishing license, there are some different sorts of licenses too! Yes, licenses vary from place to place and requirements to requirements. There are various types of licenses to choose from. There is a commercial fishing license and you will also get recreational fishing license for having entertainment. There are also options for fishing license for freshwater and saltwater. So, you will get amazing options to select one from the crowd as your fishing license!
If you want to fish in Maryland, If you have all fishing gear like fishing line, fishing rod, fishing reel and have fun, go for it! You can get a license for Maryland easily and go fish anywhere you want!
Maryland Sport Fishing & Crabbing License
The whole Maryland fishing license law is very long. We are summarizing it here so that you can understand the law properly and in an easier way.
Term of License
After the purchase of the license, you will get a specific term for using that license. You can use the license for about 365 days after purchasing the license. If you want to fish even after this term, you can try for purchasing the license for the second term if you want.
Fishing without License
If you want to get a license for fishing in Maryland, you can get it easily. But to avail of this license, you will need to be above 18 years. If you are less than 18 years then you will not be able to request a fishing license. No matter you are searching for a sportfish or crab license, you cannot get this one if you are below 18 years old.
If you are under 18 years and still you want a license, you can go for a recreational crab license. If you want to have fun and catch the bushel of crabs, you can try the recreational crab license and avail the offer! Otherwise, you are not getting any fishing license before 18 years.
Saltwater Angler Registry
If you are a saltwater angler then you can fish in Maryland. In this case, you might be not required to get the Maryland a Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing license. If you are someone who cannot get it but you still want to fish the Chesapeake Bay and Tidal Potomac River, you can rely on the free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration.
This will help you to fish with fun! If you register with Maryland, you will get a free license. In this case, you will not need the registration with NOAA! It makes the registration easy as pie!
O obtain your registration, you only need to follow some easy methods. In this case, you can do your registration online. Online registration is very easy for people who have a hectic schedule. Here, you will see 8 departments of Natural Resources Service Centers.
You will get more or less 250 Sport License Agents that can help you out in the registration work. So free registration is also very easy for you if you love fishing!
Resident Senior Consolidated License
There is a sort of license that is called the Senior Consolidated License. This license is basically made for the MD residents only. If you are a Maryland resident, then you will only be able to get this license. If you are 65 years old or you are older than this, you will be able to apply for getting this license.
This license is designed for the freshwater of Maryland. With this license, you can only fish in the freshwater of Maryland. The freshwater also includes the Trout. If you want to pay a visit to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay of Maryland and fish there, you can also do it with this license. If you love to fish in the Atlantic coast and coastal bays, you are free to do it with the Resident Senior Consolidated License.
This license is made for 365 days and you can fish anytime you want in these 365 days. If the term of the license terminates, you can renew the license whenever you want for getting the license for the next 365 days. For the resident of Maryland who is 65 years old or above, this license will only cost $5.00 for 365 days. So, you can say that the license is quite affordable too!
Non-Tidal or Freshwater License
As there are so many types of licenses, there is also a license called a non-tidal or freshwater license. This license can be divided into 3 different types of licenses depending on the term period of the license. Let us know about the 3 different types of licenses so that you can select the one that you need!
3-day Non-Tidal License
If you are not a resident of Maryland, you can try this 3-day Non-Tidal License. People that are interested in fish in the freshwater, this license encourages them. With the license for 3 days, you can easily have fun fishing in the freshwater for three days.
However, fishing in Maryland with this license includes some requirements. You can easily fish with the license if you are a non-resident. However, if you are a resident of Maryland, you will not be able to get this license. But you can get the MD resident license if you want.
The fee for the 3-day non-tidal license is $5. With this license, you will be able to fish for 3 days.
7-day Non-Tidal License
If you are not from Maryland and still want to fish in Maryland then you cannot get the 7-day Non-Tidal License for you. This will help you in fishing in the freshwater of Maryland for 7 repeated days. People who want to fish for more than 3 days can get this license to fish some more days.
This 7-day non-tidal license is just like the 3-day non-tidal license where only the time period is different. However, these are differences regarding the applicable customers. This license is not only available for the non-resident people but you can get this license if you are a resident of Maryland too!
For the resident, the fee for 7-day non-tidal license is $7.50. On the other hand, if you are a non-resident, you can get the license only at $5. If you compare the fee of the resident people with the fee of the non-resident people, you will find that the fee for this license for freshwater is a little more than the non-resident people.
Annual Non-Tidal License
This is a license for the anglers that crave for the fishing whole day. Yes, you can fish in Maryland for the whole year if you get this Annual Non-Tidal License. No matter you are a resident or a non-resident of Maryland, you can go and get this license for you with some easy steps.
If you want to fish in the freshwater of Maryland for a longer period of time and you are not a resident of the place, you can pick this license up for a whole year of continuous fishing fun! For the resident, the fee for this license is about $20.50 for 365 days. And if you are a non-resident, you can get this license for a minimum $30.50.
The fee for the Annual Non-Tidal License for the non-resident can be a little more too. If depends on so many aspects. The fee can be equal to the Reciprocal for State of Residence fee which is more than the fee that we have mentioned previously.
In this case, you have to search for the requirements and learn how much you need to pay for the annual non-tidal license if you are a non-resident. Nevertheless, the payment for the resident of Maryland for this license remains the same as we have mentioned early.
Trout Stamp
If you are 16 years or more then you will be able to avail of this license easily. This license is named as Resident Trout Stamp. However this license is only available for the people who are residents of Maryland. The fee for the resident that are 16 years old or over is $5. In this case, you have to keep in mind that this stamp is only for the people who are residents of Maryland. People that already have the Resident Senior Consolidated License will not be able to get this trout stamp.
If you are thinking that it is not fair to hold the stamp only for the resident then we will not disappoint you! There is something for you too! If you are not a resident of Maryland and still want to get Trout Stamp then you can also apply for this in a different way.
In this situation, you will need to pay double. Yes, if you are not a resident then you have to pay $10 for getting the Trout Stamp for you. Here, your age should be 16 years or more than 16 years.
If you want to fish any special catch and you want to return trout management area then you can try this stamp out. This is for the non-tidal area of Maryland. There are people who want to possess trout.
If you are a non-resident senior, you have to buy a trout stamp for possessing trout.
The Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fish License
Did you know about the recreational fish license structure? If you know about it then you also know that the structure has been changed in a session of General Assembly back in 2010. From 1st January 2011, these changes are effectively followed by everyone. Here, we will describe the license for the tidal waters of Maryland. Let us know the details about it!
7-day Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport License
This 7-day the Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport license is available for both resident and non-resident. If you are a resident of Maryland, you can easily get this license for 7 days. If you are not from Maryland and are staying there or having a vacation there, you can get this license for having fun for 7 days. With this license, you will be able to fish in this Bay and its tributaries.
With this license, you can also fish in the Atlantic Ocean along with the coastal bays of the Atlantic Ocean. For the residents of Maryland, you will only need $6 and can fish anywhere here for 7 consecutive days. If you are not a resident of Maryland then you will need to pay a little extra for this. A non-resident buyer of the license will need to pay $12 for 7 days fishing.
Annual Residential and Non-Residential Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport License
The Annual Residential and Non-Residential Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport License will allow you t dish in the Chesapeake Bay and all its branches. The state water of the Atlantic Ocean is also included in this license for fishing. You can go for the Atlantic Coastal Bays and its tributaries too!
There is a specific term period of this license. Once you apply for this, you will be able to fish in these areas for about 365 days from the day you have purchased the license. So, this is basically an annual license. This license is available for both the resident and non-resident buyers.
In this case, if you are a resident of Maryland and want to get this license, you have to count $15 for 1 year (365 days.) They non-residents need to pay some extra for this license. If you do not stay in Maryland and you are just there for a time being, as a non-resident, you can pick this license up with $22.50 for 1 year (365 days.)
Resident Senior Consolidated Fishing License
This Resident Consolidated Fishing License is for the people that are 65 years old or more. If you want to have fun in the Chesapeake Bay or the rivers of this bay then you can go for this license. This license also allows you to fish in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The coastal areas of Maryland can also be visited with this license. In this case, you will need individual license. Before getting the individual license, you need to registrar for this.
There is a Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License which is specially designed. This license includes recreational crabbing too. The boat owner who will purchase the license will get this too. There is a %50 Chesapeake Bay Sport Fishing Decal but this will not be valid as the Recreational Crabbing Boat License.
However, if you purchase the decal, you will get a complimentary recreational crabbing license for an individual.
FREE Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Registration
If you want to get a license for individual, you will need to registrar. If you are MD, waterfront property owner, and fish in a specific fishing area, you will surely need registration. If you want to go to the Potomac River, you will need a license for sure. In this case, you will need to display a Boat License decal for PRFC, VA or MD.
Crab License
The session for crab is from April 1 to December 15 of every month. There are different rules that are followed by Maryland fishing sectors. Two rules were changed in 2014 in the Maryland Fishing Law.
If you are going for private waterfront property and you are going to purchase this, you need to register for this. The registration is completely free for the owners.
If you want to go there and want to use crab traps, net rings, trot-lines or seines, you will need a license for this.
If you are ready to go as a recreational crabber, you will be able to crab without any license. You can go, crab, and have fun 24 hours everyday form docks, bridges, boats, piers, and shorelines. In this case, you will be able to use dip nets or hand lines catching up 24 male hard crabs and 12 soft crabs or male peelers. You can also try for the combination of male peeler and soft crab if you want.
There are complimentary annual licenses for tidal and non-tidal fishing. The license named BLIND is great for tidal and non-tidal fishing. This is available for residents and non-residents.
You can also go for a lifetime complimentary license if you are a Maryland resident. You can get this only if you are former prisoners of war or service-connected disabled veterans. This is available in non-tidal angler’s license and also for the Chesapeake Bay Sport-fishing.
If you want then you can get the Recreational Individual Crabbing License for annual too. It is available for the residents along with the non-residents. If you are a resident then it will cost you about $5 per year. If you are a non-resident then you can purchase this license at $10.
You can rely on the Recreational Crabbing Boat License too. For 365 days, it will cost you $15 only. No matter you are a resident of Maryland or not, you will get this easily in the same budget. In this case, for the residents and non-residents, the fee is the same.
FAQ’s on Maryland Fishing License
Do you need a fishing license in Maryland?
If you want to fish in Maryland, you will need a fishing license. If you want to fish in the freshwater, you will need an MD fishing license. If you love saltwater then also you will need fishing license. If you stay away and cannot go to the office for purchasing the license, you can rely on the online process.
You can get a license from the Maryland Department of Natural Resource. You can also get the license from the Maryland DNR Service Center that you have in your locality.
How long is a Maryland Fishing License good?
In most cases, the Maryland Fishing Licenses work for a specific time period. Usually, the Maryland fishing licenses along with the registrations and the stamps are valid for 1 year or 365 days. There are also licenses that are available for 3 days or 7 days. It depends on which license you are going for.
Do I need a Fishing license to help my child fish in Maryland?
In Maryland, the licenses are only made for the adults and in some cases, only 16 years old or above can sue the licenses. If your child is below 16 years then your child will not be able to fish in Maryland. They can only fish after being 16 years old or more. They will require a license too. You can follow the Maryland Freshwater Sportfishing guide for this.
How much is a Maryland fishing license?
In most cases, for the residents of Maryland, the price of the fishing license is $20.50 for 365 days. It includes the freshwater and Non-tidal waters. If you want to have a Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport Fishing License, you will need to pay $15. We have discussed it in more detail above.
Wrap Up
Fishing is not fun until you fish for the whole day. For some people, fishing keeps them lively. In this case, if you want to fish everywhere like lake fishing and go through all the fishing spots, you must try to keep a license for fishing. If you fish without a license, you can get punishment for this.
Fishing Accessories-