Commercial Fishing & Aquaculture Permits
Use the links to jump to a section of licenses/permits by activity or category:
- Bait Collection/Sale
- Aquaculture & Hatcheries
- Lobster and Crab Fisheries
- Finfish (Food Fish) Fisheries
- Shellfish & Whelk Fisheries
- Shellfish Transplant & Relay
- Party & Charter Boat
- Dealer/Shipper/Processor
| License/Permit Name | Brief Description | Fees | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater Bait Fish Dealer (fish & insects) | For taking and selling (wholesale or retail) certain freshwater fish and aquatic insects as bait, such as: minnows, darters, sticklebacks, tadpoles, smelt or ice fish, suckers, alewives or sawbellies. | Varies | To apply or get more details, view the license/permit page |
| Marine Bait | Allows the taking of Atlantic menhaden (bunker), silversides, and killifish and the selling of these fish as bait at retail only. | $50 | To apply or get more details, contact Bureau of Marine Resources at 631-444-0470. |
| Surfclam Bait | Allows the taking of surfclams from uncertified areas of the Atlantic Ocean for bait purposes only. Only issued to holders of a shellfish diggers permit. | None | |
| Ribbed Mussel Bait (Town of Hempstead only) | Allows the harvest of ribbed mussels from uncertified areas within the Town of Hempstead for use as bait only. Only issued to holders of a shellfish diggers permit. | None |
| License/Permit Name | Description/Requirements | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Freshwater Fish Hatcheries (black bass or trout/salmon) | For breeding, rearing and selling black bass (largemouth bass and smallmouth bass) or trout/salmon for stocking or exhibition purposes. Largemouth bass may also be sold and distributed for human consumption. | To apply or get more details, view the license/permit page |
| Import and Possess Grass Carp & Hybrid Grass Carp | Allows the licensee to import, hold, and sell certified triploid grass carp. | |
| Marine Hatchery | For raising and breeding marine plant and animal life, including but not limited to molluscs, lobster, crab, shrimp and fish. Also allows for the sale of hatchery products of legal or less than legal size to other permitted marine hatcheries and hatchery/culture permit holders. | To apply or get more details, contact Bureau of Marine Resources at 631-444-0489. |
| On/Off Bottom Culture | For raising and culturing marine plant or animal life, including containment on, or in, any rack, raft, float, cage, or similar structure and/or in any natural waters of New York State. Products are raised for eventual sale as a food product. | |
| Marine Fish Importation | Allows the importation and introduction of marine fish for cultivation purposes. Only issued to holders of a marine hatchery permit or an on/off bottom culture permit. | |
| Shellfish Importation | Allows shellfish culturist to import shellfish of legal or less than legal size into New York State for cultivation/aquaculture purposes. Only issued to holders of a marine hatchery permit or an on/off bottom culture permit. | |
| Shellfish Bed | Allows a shellfish grower to cultivate and market shellfish harvested from waters designated as "certified" on the permit. Used on privately owned underwater lands. Deed or title of underwater land, or letter of permission from landowner must be provided. | |
| Temporary Marine Area Use Assignment | 5-acre circular grant of state owned underwater lands to be used for shellfish cultivation purposes. Shellfish must be held in off-bottom culture gear only. |
| License/Permit Name | Description/Requirement | Resident Fee | Non-Resident Fee | Contact & Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Lobster (moratorium on new permits) | Allows the taking and landing of lobsters from state waters or the landing of lobsters taken from outside states waters for commercial purposes | $150 | $225 | Bureau of Marine Resources: 631-444-0470 |
| Lobster Landing | Allows the landing of lobsters legally harvested from waters outside of New York State at New York State ports and marinas. | $300 | ||
| Lobster Recreational (Resident, non-commercial) | Allows the taking or landing of no more than six legal lobsters in one day by any legal method for the holder's own or family use. No commercial sale is permitted. | $10 | ||
| Lobster Bait Gill Net | Allows commercial lobster harvesters to take bait fish with a single 300 foot long gill net set in an area where the use of gill nets is otherwise prohibited by law. Only issued to holders of a commercial lobster permit. | None | ||
| Crab (limited entry) | Allows the taking and landing of crabs for commercial purposes. | $30 | $50 | |
| Horseshoe Crab Permit | Allows the landing and taking of horseshoe crabs for commercial purposes. Only issued to holders of a crab permit. | None | ||
| License/Permit Name | Description/Requirement | Resident Fee | Non- Resident Fee | Contact for Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson River Marine Permit (Hudson River south of Troy Dam) | Allows the taking and landing of fish from the Hudson River with commercial gear for commercial purposes. | Fee: Varies by gear type (link leaves DEC's website) | Application for Hudson River Marine Permit (PDF) | |
| Food Fishing | Allows the taking and landing of food fish from state waters or the landing of food fish taken from waters outside the state for commercial purposes. | $250 | $1,250 | Submit a Vessel Trip Report or report online. Bureau of Marine Resources at 631-444-0470. |
| Food Fish Landing | Allows the landing of food fish legally taken from waters outside of the state for commercial purposes. | $500 | ||
| Menhaden Purse Seine Vessel | Allows the taking of menhaden by the use of a purse seine. Only issued to holders of a food fishing license. | Varies by vessel size | Bureau of Marine Resources: 631-444-0470 | |
| License/Permit Name | Description/Requirement | Resident Fee | Non-Resident Fee | Contact for Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shellfish Digger | Allows the harvest of clams, mussels, oysters and scallops from certified or open state waters for commercial purposes. | $50 | $150 | Bureau of Marine Resources at 631-444-0470. |
| Blue Mussel | Allows the taking of a limited number of blue mussels by dredge from specified waters. Without this permit, blue mussels must be taken with hand gear only. Only issued to holders of a shellfish digger's permit. | None | ||
| Surfclam/Ocean Quahog | Allows the harvest of surfclams or ocean quahogs by mechanical means from selected waters of the marine and coastal district. Only issued to holders of a shellfish digger's permit. | None | ||
| Whelk/Conch Permit (limited entry) | Allows the taking and landing of whelks from state marine waters for commercial purposes | $30 | $50 | |
| License/Permit Name | Description/Requirement | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Seed Relay | Allows commercial harvesters working on privately owned underwater lands to possess and transplant shellfish that are less than legal size. Only issued to holders of an On/Off Bottom Culture Permit. | Contact the Bureau of Marine Resources at 631-444-0489. |
| Shellfish Transplant | Authorizes the harvest, transplant, and relay of shellfish (oysters, scallops and all kinds of clams and mussels) from uncertified areas of the state for cleaning and eventual marketing as a food product, or to transfer shellfish from areas in other states into New York State shellfish lands. Only issued to holders of an On/Off Bottom Culture Permit. | |
| Shellfish Transplant - hand harvest | Allows a person to hand harvest shellfish in connection with the activities allowed by a shellfish transplant permit. Only issued to holders of a Shellfish Digger's Permit. | |
| Scallop Salvage and Relay | Allows a person to salvage and transplant bay scallops at any age to prevent destruction from predators, wind and tidal action, or other causes. Only issued to holders of a Shellfish Digger's Permit. | |
| Shellfish Population Survey | Authorizes the harvesting and surveying of shellfish in "uncertified" or "certified" waters of New York State, for the purpose of determining the quantity of shellfish in a specific location. Population surveys are undertaken as part of shellfish management programs. |
| License/Permit Name | Description/Requirement | Resident/Non-Resident Fee | Additional Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party & Charter Boat | Allows the operation of a party boat or charter boat within state waters and the carrying of paying customers on fishing trips to catch and land fish according to state recreational regulations | $250 | Contact the Bureau of Marine Resources at 631-444-0470. | |
| License/Permit Name | Description/Requirement | Resident Fee | Non-Resident Fee | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Fish & Crustacea Dealers & Shippers | Allows a person or their employees to:
| $250 | Bureau of Marine Resources at 631-444-0470. | |
| Shellfish Shippers & Processors (Classes A-E) | There are 5 different types of permits for shipping, processing and/or packing shellfish.
| Class A: $300 Class B: $600 Class C: $200 Class D: $75 ClassE: $50 | ||