Cape Cod Day Trips
Massachusetts Fishing Licenses and Regulations
Fishing on Cape Cod
Massachusetts is famous for its saltwater fishing opportunities. Commercial saltwater fishing is one of the main economic drivers of the coastal communities in the region. Massachusetts also has great ponds, lakes, and rivers that grant local fishermen and visiting tourists a chance to enjoy freshwater fishing.
Before January 2011, only the people who fished on freshwater bodies in Massachusetts needed fishing licenses. Now, with the promulgation of the Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Permit, if you are going to venture out and fish on the Cape’s salt waters, you have to get a license as well. This applies to both commercial and recreational fishing activities.
The fishing license laws and regulations that govern fishing on the cape are pretty straight forward. If you are venturing out into the sea with a registered charter, the charter’s license covers you. If you
are going alone, you need a license in your name. For freshwater fishing, anyone 15 years or older has to have a license. There are separate licenses for freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing. You will have to get two different licenses if you are planning to do both freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing. The licenses are valid for one calendar year from January 1 to December 31. All fishing licenses are issued by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG).
You can buy a fishing license at any of the following places:
- A local DFG office
- Select sporting goods outlets
- Select town and city clerk offices
- Online from the official site.
Why do you need to pay for a license in the first place? A significant portion of the revenue generated from selling fishing licenses supports Massachusetts conservation efforts, fish stocking, habitat restoration, and environmental research. You will be contributing to efforts that ensure future anglers in Massachusetts have just as many fishing opportunities as you do today, if not more.
Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Licenses
As mentioned earlier, freshwater licenses are required for anyone 15 years or older. Massachusetts residents 70 years or older and those who are 15 to 17 years of age get the freshwater licenses for free.
The prices of freshwater fishing licenses are as follows (per license):
- Adult residents (18 years and older): $29.50
- Youth residents (Ages 15 – 17): Free
- Senior residents (Ages 65 – 69): $14.75
- Senior residents (Age 70 or older): Free
- Non-Resident Fishing $39.50
- Non-Resident Minor Fishing (Ages 15 – 17): $7.10
- Three-day Fishing License Resident: $12.50
- Three-day Fishing License Non-Resident: $23.30
A resident of the State of Massachusetts is a person who has lived in the state for at least six consecutive months.
You can purchase freshwater licenses online, from select local vendors, or MassWildlife offices. See place of purchase for current rules, regulations and pricing.
Freshwater Fishing Prohibitions
Possession of the following species is illegal: American Brook Lampberry, Sturgeon (all species), Atlantic (sea-run) Salmon, Burbot, Briddle Shiner, Eastern Silvery Minnow, Northern Redbelly Dose, Longnose Sucker, and Lake Chub. You are required to immediately release the prohibited fish species back into the water if caught.
The sale of fish drawn from inland waters is illegal. Further, you are not allowed to use more than two hooks for fishing open water or more than five hooks when ice fishing. The regulations define hooks as angling devices attached to fishing lines that are designed to catch one fish at a time.
Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Licenses
All anglers venturing into the sea must have a saltwater fishing permit. The only anglers exempted
from this rule are:
- Anglers with disabilities.
- Anglers under the age of 16.
- Non-resident anglers with valid RI, CT, and NH saltwater fishing permits.
- Anglers using permitted charter boats, head boats, and other permitted for-hire vessels.
Reciprocity agreements: Massachusetts has reciprocity agreements with Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. This means that if you are a resident of one of the three states and you have a recreational saltwater fishing permit issued by the state, that permit can be used in the marine waters of Massachusetts.
The prices of saltwater fishing licenses in Massachusetts are as follows:
- Residents and non-residents: $10
- Residents and non-residents 60 years and older: Free
The permits are usually processed on the same day they are ordered. The fishing permits are available through the following channels:
By Phone: You can buy a permit by calling a toll free number from 5 am to 5 pm. Call 1-866-703-1925.
Online: This Wildlife License portal will walk you through the process of getting a permit online. Online purchases cost an additional $1.68 to cover administrative handling and the convenience fee.
By mail: Download and fill this paper application. You should then mail the application and a check payable to:
Division of Marine Fisheries
251 Causeway St.
Suite 400
Boston, MA 02114
In Person: You can find approved vendor locations in Massachusetts here. Alternatively, you can get licenses in person at the Division of Marine Fisheries offices in Gloucester or New Bedford. The offices accept cash, checks, and money orders. They are open on Monday through Friday from 8.45 am to 4.45 pm.
The following establishments on Cape Cod sell saltwater fishing permits:
- North Falmouth Hardware - 91 County Road, North Falmouth
- Wal-Mart - 3005 Cranberry Highway, East Wareham
- Wal-Mart - 137 Teaticket Highway, East Falmouth
- Riverview Bait & Tackle - 1273 Route 28, South Yarmouth
- Goose Hummock Shop - 15 Route 6A, Orleans
- Sports Port - 149 West Main Street, Hyannis
Recreational Saltwater Fishing Prohibitions
You are not allowed to harvest the following species during recreational saltwater fishing:
Sandbar, silky, sand tiger, bigeye sand tiger, basking, whale, bignose, busky, Caribbean reef, galapagos, narrowtooth, smalltail, Caribbean sharpnose, longfin mako, Atlantic angel, sharpnose sevengill, bigeye thresher, bigeye sixgill, and bluntnose sixgill.
The following species are permitted and may be harvested during recreational saltwater fishing:
Atlantic sharpnose, finetooth, smooth dogfish, blacknose, tiger, blacktip, lemon, bull, nurse, spinner, great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, common thresher, porbeagle, shortfin mako, and the oceanic white tip.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Permit
The Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Permit (HMS Permit) is issued by the federal government and not by the State of Massachusetts. However, if you will be fishing for highly migratory species such as tuna, billfish, shark, and swordfish while on Cape Cod's coastal waters, you must have the license.
The license is issued to boats and not to individuals. Therefore, if you are on a licensed charter boat, the boat’s license will cover you. If you are on a private vessel, however, ensure that you get the license before you embark on your fishing trip. You can get the license online at the official website of the National Marine Fisheries Service. The license costs $20 and it is valid for one calendar year.
Useful Information
You should always have a copy of the fishing license whenever you are out fishing. You can carry a printed paper copy or have one on your smartphone.
All Massachusetts fishing licenses expire at the end of the calendar year on December 31.
For more information, you can contact the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries & Wildlife at (617) 626-1500. The official website has a lot of useful information.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries operates from the following offices:
Boston Office
251 Causeway Street, Suite 400,
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 626-1520
Gloucester Field Office
30 Emerson Avenue
Gloucester, MA 01930
Phone: (978) 282-0308
New Bedford Office
36 S Rodney French Blvd
New Bedford, MA 02744
Phone: (508) 990-2860
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