DEM Reminds Fishers that Commercial Marine Licenses are Up for Renewal and Most are Due by Feb. 29, 2024

Published on Thursday, December 21, 2023

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is reminding Rhode Islanders and nonresidents holding standard fishing licenses, multipurpose licenses, shellfish over 65 licenses, and other licenses that their renewals are due by close of business on Thursday, Feb. 29. DEM has mailed license renewal notices to over 6,000 of the current individual license holders in its system. Fishers are encouraged to renew online at DEM’s Rhode Island Outdoors (RIO) licensing website using their unique Customer Identification Number (CID). 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. 29, 2024, will result in the assessment of 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, 2024. Deadline dates and renewal grace periods do not extend the validity of expired licenses. It is unlawful to fish in 2024 without a valid 2024 license. The marine license year runs Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024.

Also, DEM will issue a limited number of SFLs in two fishery sectors: 18 new unlimited finfish endorsements and 48 new unlimited shellfish endorsements. As is the case with the license categories mentioned above, the application period will run Jan. 1-Feb. 29, 2024. Applications and guidance documents are posted on DEM's website. License determinations will be finalized after the Feb. 29, 2024, deadline date. Successful license issuance will be based on criteria set forth in the commercial and recreational fishing license regulations. In addition to the new license opportunity issuance, DEM will be issuing 15 new multipurpose vessel licenses under a pilot program which allow the vessel owner to designate any operator to engage in commercial fishing for all marine species aboard their owned 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 commercially declared fishing vessel as a multipurpose vessel license. Applications and guidance documents will be posted to the same page listed above, with the application period running from Jan. 1 – Feb. 29, 2024.

 

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, 2024. The fee for these licenses is $50 and current license holders have until June 30, 2024, 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 2024 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 are obligated to 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 (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.