Licenses & Commercial Fishing
Recreational Fishing Licenses
Nonresident Recreational Marine Fishing License
Unlawful for any nonresident of the State who has attained the age of fifteen (except members of the U.S. armed forces on active duty in the State and their spouses and minor children) to fish for, take, or catch any marine life for noncommercial or recreational purposes without first obtaining this license.
| Duration |
Fee |
| 1-day |
$20 |
| 7-day |
$40 |
| Annual |
$70 |
Freshwater Game Fishing License
Unlawful to fish for, catch, or take any freshwater game fish without first obtaining a Freshwater Game Fishing License.
| Angler Category |
Fee |
| Residents over 15 years of age |
$5 |
| Military personnel on active duty (and their spouse/dependents over 15) |
$5 |
| Minors between 9 and 15 years of age |
$3 |
| Senior citizens 65 years of age or over |
No charge |
| Non-resident |
$25 |
| 7-day tourist |
$10 |
| 30-day tourist |
$20 |
| Duplicate |
$1 |
Rules:
- Minors below 9 years of age may fish without a license when accompanied by a licensee.
- Where bag limits are specified, each licensee may take only one bag per day. The catch of a child below 9 years of age will be considered part of the catch of the licensed supervising adult.
- A child below 9 years of age who wishes to take a bag limit on his/her own must purchase a valid freshwater fishing license.
- Unlawful to sell introduced freshwater game fish.
Commercial Fishing
Commercial Marine License
- Individuals engaged in taking, selling, or offering for sale any marine life for commercial purposes (including charter fishing services) must obtain a Commercial Marine License.
- Fee: $100 (resident); $250 (non-resident); $10 (duplicate)
- “Commercial purpose” means the taking of marine life for profit or gain, or as a means of livelihood, when the marine life is taken in or outside of the State, and when the marine life is sold, offered for sale, landed, or transported for sale anywhere in the State.
- Every commercial marine licensee shall furnish to the Department of Land and Natural Resources a monthly report with respect to marine life taken and any bait used. Reports must be submitted no later than the tenth day of the month following the month in which the marine life was taken. Failure or refusal to submit a monthly catch report shall be cause for revocation of the license.
Commercial Marine Vessel License
The department will issue a commercial marine vessel license to any qualified individual upon receipt of a valid application and appropriate fee.
A qualified individual must:
- Possess a valid commercial marine license
- Be at least eighteen years old
- Provide proof of identity
- Have no unmet child support obligations pursuant to HRS §189-2
| Vessel Type |
Fee |
| Vessel less than 22 feet, not used for longline fishing |
$100 |
| Vessel 22 feet or greater, not used for longline fishing |
$200 |
| Vessel used for longline fishing |
$1,500 |
| Duplicate |
$10 |
Key rules:
- A commercial marine vessel license is valid from the date of issuance and expires on the expiration date of the licensee’s commercial marine license.
- A license is valid only for a specific vessel and is nontransferable.
- A qualified individual may obtain and possess more than one commercial marine vessel license at a time.
- Longline vessels: The commercial marine vessel licensee shall file an annual report with the department containing information about all crew members who worked aboard the longline vessel during the license period (identity, nationality, arrival date in Hawai’i, departure date, and any other information the department may require). This report must be submitted within thirty days of the end of the license period.
- Charter fishing vessels: The commercial marine vessel license satisfies the commercial marine license requirement for all crew members. It does not exempt charter fishing vessel passengers or customers from the nonresident recreational marine fishing license requirement. A “passenger” is any individual on board who is not a member of the vessel’s crew.
- If a vessel is lost, destroyed, stolen, sold, transferred, or otherwise no longer in the possession or control of the licensee, the licensee shall immediately notify the department and the license shall be terminated.
- The license shall be kept aboard the vessel at all times while participating in commercial fishing activities and shall be made available for inspection upon demand.
- Persons issued a commercial marine vessel license shall submit monthly reports of the vessel’s fishing activity. Persons taking bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands must also submit trip reports of their bottomfishing activity, in addition to monthly reports for other species.
Bait License
- Commercial fishermen may apply for a license to take baitfish other than nehu for use in fishing operations where fish are caught and landed in the State. No baitfish caught may be sold or transferred except for bait purposes.
- Fee: $100; Duplicate: $10
- A license for taking nehu may be issued to persons employed on live-bait tuna boats, only if the person’s principal means of livelihood is derived from tuna fishing and the sale of tuna, and the fish are caught and landed in the State; such nehu may not be sold to others.
- Each license shall cover the operation of one fishing vessel and must be carried aboard the boat at all times. Each licensee must furnish monthly baitfish catch reports to the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Commercial Uhu Fishing Permit
- Unlawful to take uhu for commercial purposes without a valid permit.
- Annual Catch Limit (ACL) for commercial uhu fishery: 30,000 pounds
- The fishing season for uhu will close when the ACL is reached.
Commercial Kala Fishing Permit
- Unlawful to take kala for commercial purposes without a valid permit.
- Annual Catch Limit (ACL) for commercial kala fishery: 15,000 pounds
- The fishing season for kala will close when the ACL is reached.
Bottom Fishing (“Deep 7”)
Covered species: ‘ula’ula koa’e (onaga), ‘ula’ula (ehu), kalekale, ‘ōpakapaka, ‘ūkīkiki (gindai), hāpu’u, and lehi.
Closed Season
Unlawful to fish for, possess, or sell bottomfish species listed above during the announced closed season, except by permit.
Gear Restrictions
Unlawful to take bottomfish with any trap, trawl, bottomfish longline, or net. Unlawful to possess, while on board a vessel, both bottomfish and any trap, trawl, bottomfish longline, or net other than scoop net or Kona crab net.
- Scoop nets may be used to bring on board a vessel any bottomfish that has already been caught.
- Kona crab nets may be used to take Kona crabs.
Trip Reporting
Commercial fishers must report all “Deep 7” bottomfish catches within five days after the end of a trip.
Minimum Size
Onaga and ‘ōpakapaka minimum size for sale: 1 pound.
Non-Commercial Bag Limit
Unlawful for any person without a current commercial marine license to take or possess more than a combined total of five bottomfish per day.
Vessel Identification
All vessels fishing for or possessing bottomfish must:
- Be registered with the department first.
- Display the bottomfish fishing vessel identification number: the HA number, NMFS federal fishing number, Coast Guard documentation number, or DAR-issued number, followed by the letters “BF” as a suffix.
- Letters must be no less than 6 inches high and 3 inches wide in black or contrasting solid color, placed on both sides of either the hull or the superstructure.
- The bottomfish fishing vessel identification number is valid from Sep 1 to Aug 31 and must be renewed annually.
Longline Fishing
Definition: Longline fishing is conducted with gear consisting of at least one mainline over one nautical mile in length, to which is attached a number of branchlines with baited hooks. The mainline is suspended below the surface by floatlines attached to surface floats.
- Unlawful to engage in longline fishing within state waters, or sell or offer for sale any marine life taken with longline fishing gear within state waters.
- Unlawful to possess, sell, or offer for sale any marine life taken by longline fishing gear that is prohibited by or in violation of rules adopted by the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council through NOAA.
Dealers
Kona Crab and Lobster Closed Season License
- During the closed season, a dealer may sell, or a hotel or other public eating establishment may serve, spiny lobster, slipper lobster, or Kona crab lawfully caught in the waters of the State during the open season.
- Fee: $100; Duplicate: $10
Special Marine Animal or Product Possession and Sale License
- Unlawful to possess, sell, or offer for sale any aquatic life or product thereof of any size taken outside the waters of the State, when the taking, possession, or sale of the same species is restricted if taken within State waters, without first obtaining this license.
- Fee: $100; Duplicate: $10
O’ahu Aquarium Fishing
Unlawful, within three nautical miles of the O’ahu shoreline, while possessing a small mesh net authorized under a commercial or recreational aquarium fish permit:
- Possess a small mesh net more than 30 feet long or six feet high, or join more than two such nets together for a combined length of more than 60 feet.
- Take or possess any ornate butterflyfish, oval butterflyfish, or reticulated butterflyfish.
Unlawful, within three nautical miles of the O’ahu shoreline, while possessing a small mesh net authorized under a commercial aquarium fish permit:
- Possess a small mesh net and take or possess a daily bag limit of more than:
- 100 yellow tang, 75 kole, 50 Potter’s angel, 50 naso tang, 25 Moorish idol, or 10 Achilles tang
- Six of any of the following: yellow tang less than 1½ inches in length, yellow tang more than 5 inches in length, kole more than 5 inches in length, cleaner wrasse of any size
- Two bandit (banded) angelfish more than 5½ inches in length
- Operate a vessel with more than the above daily bag limits for the number of permittees on board, or more than three times the number of any bag limit, regardless of the number of permittees on board.
Note: Commercial aquarium collection is prohibited pending compliance with HRS Chapter 343 environmental review.
Special Activities
Scientific, Educational, or Propagation Purposes
Any person with a bona fide scientific, educational, or propagation purpose may apply in writing to obtain a Special Activity Permit to legally take certain aquatic life, use certain gear, and gain entrance into certain areas otherwise prohibited.