Fishing Licenses Now Available Online at www.dfg.ca.gov

California sportfishing licenses are now available for purchase online, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has Announced.   The online purchasing option will make it more convenient for our customers to enjoy California's diverse recreational fishing opportunities, said John McCamman, chief deputy director. "Anyone who has access to the Internet and a printer can get a license 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and be on their way to fish minutes after logging on".

All resident and non-resident licenses, both annual and short-term, and selected stamps can be purchased at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/ols/intro.html.  The purchaser will be able to print out a one-day or two-day license, or a temporary annual license. Non-residents can also purchase a 10-day license.  All licenses purchased online and printed are valid; annual license purchasers will receive a permanent license in the mail within 10 days.   All purchases are payable by Visa or MasterCard.

The stamps available for online purchase are the Second Rod Stamp, a Sport Fishing Ocean Enhancement Stamp, and Bay Delta Enhancement Stamps.   Report cards must still be obtained from one of the 1,800 authorized license agents throughout the State or at local DFG license sales offices.

Fishing licenses are still available for purchase from authorized license agents.   The cost is the same whether purchased online or from an agent.   All licenses purchased online or from an agent must be displayed above the waist and clearly visible while fishing.   Licenses will include a security code that will be decipherable by Wardens in the field.

McCamman was instrumental in guiding this sportfishing license project to completion prior to the release of the entire Automated License Data System (ALDS).   With ALDS, the DFG will expand availability to include hunting licenses by 2011, but for the time being, only Sportfishing licenses are available.

The DFG sells more than 2 million Sportfishing licenses and generates more than $62 million in revenue annually.    One-third of the revenue generated by these sales is earmarked for the DFG's Hatcheries and Fish Planting Facilities Program; the rest supports fisheries management and protection through the Fish and Game Preservation Fund.

Ocean Enhancement Stamp
      
$4.75

Free and Reduced-Fee Sport Fishing License

To qualify for a for Free or Reduced-Fee Sport Fishing License, anglers must meet the criteria described below.

2009 Reduced-Fee Fishing Licenses - Fee $6.25

Fish and Game Code, Section 7150, authorizes the Department of Fish and Game to issue Reduced-Fee Fishing Licenses to the following anglers.

A)  Any person 65 years of age or older who is a resident of California and whose total monthly income from all sources does not exceed the income levels below.   Income Verification from your Social Security office is required annually.

1) $870 for single persons, or

2) $1,524 for married persons (combined income).

B) Any honorably-discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces with a service-connected disability rating of 50% or more.  Proof of eligibility from the United States Veterans Administration or a copy of last years license is required.

2009 Free Fishing Licenses

Fish and Game Code, Section 7151, authorizes the Department of Fish and Game to issue Free Sport Fishing Licenses to anglers who meet specific criteria.  Additional stamps or cards are required for certain species and areas and must be purchased at the regular fee.

Five-Year Free Sport Fishing Licenses are available for anglers who meet the criteria below: 

A) Any person, with central vision acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the aid of the best possible correcting glasses, or central vision acuity better than 20/200 if the widest diameter of the remaining visual field is no greater than 20 degrees.   Certification of blindness by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist is required. 

B) Any person who is a resident of the State and who is so severely physically disabled as to be permanently unable to move from place to place without the aid of a wheelchair, walker, forearm crutches or a comparable mobility-related device.   Verification by a licensed physician or a copy of the previous year's free fishing license is required.

C) Any developmentally disabled person.   Certification by a licensed physician or the director of a State regional center is required.

One-Year Free Sport Fishing Licenses are available for anglers who meet the criteria below:

A) Any American Indian or lineal descendant who is a resident of the State and whose total annual income does not exceed $10,400 for the head of the household, plus $3,600  for each additional family member living with them.  Certification by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A.) or proof of being on a tribal registry is required.   Verification of income on Form FG371 is required annually.

How to Apply

Second Rod Stamp
              
$12.85

Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp

$6.30

       
Required for anglers to fish in the following waters:

The tidal waters of San Francisco Bay and Delta - The areas east of Golden Gate Bridge and into the San Francisco and San Pablo bays, and Carquinez Strait.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - This includes all rivers, sloughs, canals, cuts, forebays, and flooded islands within the area south of Interstate 80, west of Highway 99, North of I-580, I-205, and I-120, and east of I-680. This area includes the Cosumnes River west of Highway 99.

The Sacramento River below Keswick Dam, the Feather River below Oroville Dam, the Yuba River below Englebright Dam, the American River below Nimbus Dam, the Cosumnes River west of Highway 99, the Mokelumne River below Camanche Dam, the Calaveras River below New Hogan Dam, the San Joaquin River below Mendota Dam, the Stanislaus River below Goodwin Dam, the Tuolumne River below LaGrange Dam, and the Merced River below Crocker-Huffman Dam.

An online map of the waters where a Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp is required can be viewed on the Department's web site at:
www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Administration/Permits/BayDeltaStamp/Range.asp.

A Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp is not required when fishing under the authority of a One or Two-Day Sport Fishing License.

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