North Carolina Fishing License: If you are an angler and you are looking for fishing in large scale then must go for North Carolina. From deep sea fishing to freshwater fishing, you can bait many species of fishes to your hook. But first thing first which is also very important and it’s none other than a license. That’s all you need to use your fishing rod in North Carolina. You can do both saltwater and freshwater fishing but for that you should have permit of NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
As there are different permits for different fishing, you’ll have a separate permit for “freshwater” and “saltwater” fishing. So, here are all the instructions and details about getting a fishing license in North Carolina. Best Trademark Attorneys in the US
North Carolina Fishing License Types of Licenses
- Inland License – If you want to do fishing in freshwater, then this license is for you. To do fishing inland, you should have this permit. You may rarely find any spot for freshwater fishing as there are many locations of “Joint Waters”. But if you are having charter boat then this may not be an issue for you. Earlier, there was an additional step to do trout fishing in the waters. You got to have Trout stamp to do Trout fishing but now it is included in Inland License itself.
- Coastal License – To do fishing in the oceans, you should have Coastal License. You can have fishing on the edge of coasts, above continental shelf or coral reefs or in the ocean but to throw your fishing line in the ocean, you should have license. For getting coastal license, you need to have permit.
In this article, you’ll get to know all the necessary things to get a fishing license in North Carolina.
North Carolina Fishing License Online
Whether be resident or non-resident, to do fishing in North Carolina, you need to have a license. Exceptions are there for inland private ponds but if you are assisting a minor with you, then you must have a fishing license. People those prefer to do fishing in the water that’s for public should have a license. To get a license, an angler should be 16 or above that. If you have license, then you must carry it all times with yourself as it is illegal to do fishing without carrying a permit.
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Now talking about residents and non-residents, they have different price margin to acquire license. License are categorised in 3 categories as follows: Short term, Annual and Lifetime. To get a resident license, you just have to live in North Carolina for 6 months. To prove your identity as resident of North Carolina, you can show your driver’s license or any other document that carries your address proof.
Exceptional Fishing License Advantages in North Carolina
If you are a minor, then you don’t need to have a license for fishing as NC does not issue any license to minors. Any personnel having license should be there with the minor to assist fishing. We have talked about the North Carolina Fishing License here and if you have any question then you can check out the reaming article below.
Now, other than children, there are some groups that actually don’t need license to enjoy fishing.
These groups are:
- Military Personnel – If you are resident of North Carolina and also a military personnel, then you don’t need to have a license to do fishing. You can do fishing for 30 days without license but to make sure your fishing goes well, carry your military documents with you as a proof. If you are not carrying your documents then you’ll be held responsible for the consequences.
- Subsistence Fishing Waiver – Residents who have fishing as the only source of food can apply for Subsistence Fishing Waiver from the social services. After issuing of Subsistence Fishing Waiver, you can easily do fishing without any problem.
- If you are a resident of Blind and Care homes, then you can easily get inland permit for fishing. A good thing that government has done is that you don’t need to spend a dime to get this permit as being a resident of Blind and care home. You will get license with standard procedures as others apply for. To get this license, you need to be eligible to apply for and should meet the requirements.
Prices of License for Residents and Non-residents
As there are different licenses and for different period of time, so, the price may vary as per your requirements. Children and senior citizens can get discounts and can get license in cheaper price.
Here is the price list of Temporary licenses as being a resident and non-resident.
| Inhabitant | Non- Inhabitant | |
| Yearly Saltwater | $16 | $32 |
| Ten day Saltwater | $6 | $11 |
| Yearly Inland | $25 | $45 |
| Ten Day Inland | $9 | $23 |
| Three Day Trout | $8 | $8 |
| Yearly Unified | $43 | Not Applicable |
Here is the price list of permanent license issued to resident and non-residents
| Inhabitant | Non- Inhabitant | |
| Adult Inland | $265 | Not Applicable |
| Senior Inland | $16 | Not Applicable |
| Adult Unified | $477 | Not Applicable |
| Less than One Coastal | $106 | $106 |
| One to Eleven Coastal | $159 | $159 |
| More than Twelve Coastal | $265 | $530 |
| Senior Coastal | $16 | Not Applicable |
For the outsiders, there is one advantage in North Carolina Fishing License. You can have both hunting and fishing combined license. To know more, you can read NC’s Sportsman Licenses.
How to Get the North Carolina Fishing License
You can easily get your license in three different ways such as:
- Online – You can apply for a fishing license online. You just need to pay through Visa or MasterCard. It will debit $2 as service charge.
- By Phone – You can call to 888-248-6834 to get your license. Timings: Monday – Friday ( 8 AM – 5 PM)
- Through Agent – You can contact any vendor to get your fishing license in North Carolina.
Youth and disabled people can not avail online services. To get a license they need to contact an agent.
Fishing Without License in NC
If ever caught fishing without a license, you may be fined with a minimum fee of $35. Fishing without a license is a crime and fine could go up to $200. If you get caught fishing without a license in saltwater, then the minimum fine you will be charged is $200 with additional charges and it could go around $500 maximum. If severe, you may also be sentenced imprisonment for 30 days. So, always be careful and remember to have your license with you while fishing.
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