Commercial Marine Licenses are Up for Renewal

Published on Wednesday, December 18, 2024

PROVIDENCE, RI –The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is reminding Rhode Islanders and nonresidents holding standard fishing licenses (SFLs), multipurpose licenses, shellfish over 65 licenses, and other licenses that their renewals are due by close of business on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. DEM has mailed license renewal notices to over 6,000 of the current individual license holders. Fishers are encouraged to renew online at DEM’s Rhode Island Outdoors (RIO) licensing website.  License holders can also renew by mail or in person at the DEM Office of Boat Registration and Licensing located at 235 Promenade Street, Room 360,  Providence, RI, 02908 or call 401-222-6647. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM-3:30 PM.

Failure to renew licenses by Feb. 28, will result in a $200 late fee if license holders opt to renew their marine licenses during the 60-day grace period that follows immediately for late renewals. It runs March 1 through April 29, 2025. Deadline dates and renewal grace periods do not extend the validity of expired licenses. It is unlawful to fish in 2025 without a valid 2025 license. The marine license year runs Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2025. 

Also, DEM will issue a limited number of SFLs in two fishery sectors: six new unlimited finfish endorsements and nine new unlimited shellfish endorsements to residents only. The application period will run Jan. 1-Feb. 28, 2025. Applications and guidance documents are posted on DEM's website. License determinations will be finalized after the Feb. 28 deadline date. In addition to this new SFL opportunity, DEM will be accepting applications for 15 new multipurpose vessel licenses under a pilot program which allows vessel owners to designate any operator to fish commercially for all marine species aboard their vessel, provided the vessel owner has consigned a multipurpose fishing license to DEM. DEM may then re-issue the consigned multipurpose fishing license to the fishing vessel as a multipurpose vessel license.

As in past years, DEM will offer student shellfish licenses to any RI resident who is a full-time student and 23 or younger as of June 30, 2025. The fee for these licenses is $50 and current license holders have until June 30 to renew. There is no grace period or late-fee renewals for student shellfish license holders.

All commercial fishers must be in compliance with the Commercial Marine Harvester Logbook Program, failure to do so will negatively affect the ability to renew the license for the 2025 fishing year. Questions regarding compliance should be directed to DEM’s Division of Marine Fisheries’ Jamestown Office at 401-423-1923 or 401-423-1926. Licensed fishers are obligated to comply with possession limits for finfish as provided in DEM's Division Marine Fisheries listserv, dedicated phone line at 401-423-1920, or webpage. Licensed shellfishers must comply with conditional closure areas as provided on DEM's dedicated phone line at 401-222-2900. Also, all applicants who harvest shellfish must complete a 30-minute online tutorial, which is located here. For more information, please subscribe to the listserv by clicking here to stay up-to-date on marine fishery meetings and notices.

For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter/X (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates. Sign up here to receive the latest press releases, news, and events from DEM's Public Affairs Office to your inbox.