Do You Need a Fishing License for a Charter in New York?

New York has a registry, not a license

If you are 16 or older and fish in New York's marine waters, the state wants you in the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry. It is free. It exists so the DEC can count anglers and manage fish stocks. It is not a paid license, and there is no test.

Kids under 16 do not need to register at all.

The charter boat exemption

This is the part almost no charter site explains. Under state law, passengers fishing aboard an appropriately licensed party or charter boat in the Marine and Coastal District are exempt from the registry. The boat's license covers everyone on board.

So when you book a trip, you can show up with nothing but sunscreen and a cooler. No paperwork, no sign-up, no printout. Compare that with fishing from a friend's boat or a beach, where you would need your own free registration first.

One exception: tuna and shark trips

Offshore trips for tuna and sharks fall under federal rules. The vessel needs a NOAA Highly Migratory Species permit, and shark trips are limited to one shark per vessel per trip. That permit belongs to the boat, not to you. Ask about it when booking an offshore fishing charter, and we will walk you through what the trip covers.

What about the fish you keep?

No license does not mean no rules. Size and bag limits still apply to everyone on board. The big one right now is striped bass, which sits in a 28 to 31 inch slot limit in New York's marine waters. Your captain tracks the current DEC limits and will tell you what can go in the cooler and what goes back.

That is one of the quiet perks of a captained trip. The regulations change, and keeping up with them is our job, not yours.

The bottom line

Fishing from shore or a private boat in NY salt water: free registry required at 16 and up. Fishing from a licensed charter boat: covered, nothing needed. Either way, there is no fee to fish salt water in New York.

Ready to skip the paperwork entirely? Our family fishing charter is the easiest way to get kids on their first fish, and our inshore fishing charter covers the local bays. Call (631) 251-1777 or email captain@chartersinthehamptons.com to pick a date.