Starting on Jan. 1 all fishermen are required to have a new fishing license. A 2012 fishing license is required as of New Year”s Day and there is no grace period. If you”re cited for not having a license you can expect to pay approximately $250 or more in fines.
The basic 2012 license costs $44.85. You can get one at your local tackle shop, Wal-Mart or Kmart. You can also go the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) website at www.dfg.ca.gov and follow the instructions.
As in past years the DFG gives a break to low-income seniors and a few qualified veterans and other citizens. For those who fall into that category, a fishing license costs only $6.70 or $7.05. In fact, in some cases the license is free. According to the DFG, only a small portion of California residents who are eligible for a reduced-fee license take advantage of the program. This is especially true in Lake and Mendocino counties. There are literally hundreds of people who qualify but end up paying the regular price.
The reduced-fee license can be purchased by any person 65 years of age or older who is a resident of California and whose total monthly income from all sources does not exceed the income levels below. Income verification from your Social Security office is required. Also eligible is any honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces with a service-connected disability rating of 50 percent or more. Proof of eligibility from the United States Veterans Administration or a copy of last year”s license is required.
Income limits are:
1. $845 for single persons ($10,176 per year), or:
2. $1,407 ($16,884 per year) for married persons (combined income).
Any honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces with a service-connected disability rating of 50 percent pays only $7.05 for a 2012 fishing license. Proof of eligibility from the United States Veterans Administration or a copy of any previous year”s license is required. Disabled veterans who were issued this license through ALDS in 2010 or 2011 may renew their licenses at any DFG license agent or DFG license sales office or online.
A free sport fishing license is available to anglers who meet the criteria below.
1. Any person with central vision acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the aid of the best possible correcting glasses, or central vision acuity better than 20/200 if the widest diameter of the remaining visual field is no greater than 20 degrees. Certification of blindness by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist is required.
2. Any person who is a resident of the state and who is so severely physically disabled as to be permanently unable to move from place to place without the aid of a wheelchair, walker, forearm crutches or a comparable mobility-related device. Verification by a licensed physician or a copy of the previous year”s free fishing license is required.
3. Any developmentally disabled person. Certification by a licensed physician or the director of a state regional center is required.
4. Any American Indian or lineal descendant who is a resident of the state and whose total annual income does not exceed $10,890 for the head of the household, plus $3,820 for each additional family member living with them. Certification by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or proof of being on a tribal registry is required. Verification of income on Form FG-371 (PDF) is required annually.
Any person who was issued this license under the following criteria through ALDS (DFG Automatic License Data System) in 2010 or 2011 may renew their licenses at any DFG license agent, DFG license sales office or online. You can also print a free license application from the DFG website.
A second rod stamp will cost $13.78. For those who only plan to fish only one or two days a year a one-day license for $14.30 or a two-day license for $22.42 is available.
For those who plan on fishing for salmon, steelhead or abalone, additional reporting cards are required. An abalone report card will cost $21.34, a North Coast salmon report card is $5.97 and a steelhead report card is $6.74
The DFG also allows individuals to purchase a lifetime fishing license. The lifetime license fee for persons aged 0-9 years is $491.75, 10-39 years is $803.25, 40-61 years is $724 and 62 years and older is $333.
