§ 4-745. Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing licenses; special charter boat licenses
West's Annotated Code of MarylandNatural ResourcesEffective: June 1, 2022
Effective: June 1, 2022
MD Code, Natural Resources, § 4-745
§ 4-745. Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing licenses; special charter boat licenses
(a)(1) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) of this section and § 4-217 of this title, a person may not fish for finfish in the Chesapeake Bay or in its tributaries up to tidal boundaries or in State waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic coastal bays and their tributaries without first obtaining a Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license or registration issued under subsection (d)(3) of this section and possessing the license or registration.
(i) Resident
$15
(ii) Short-term resident license valid for 7 consecutive days from date of issue
$6
(iii) For a short-term nonresident license valid for 7 consecutive days from date of issue
$12
(iv) Nonresident
$22.50
(v) Resident and nonresident blind persons
No fee
(vi) Complimentary license under subsection (e) of this section
No fee
(b)(1) The Department may designate a person engaged in a commercial enterprise to sell the Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license or issue a registration under subsection (d) of this section as an agent under the Department's control and supervision.
(3)(i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, all fees collected on behalf of the Department pursuant to this section shall be remitted to the Department in accordance with its rules and regulations for deposit with the State Treasurer to the credit of the Fisheries Research and Development Fund to be used for the replenishment, protection, and conservation of fish stocks caught by recreational fishermen, for enhancement of recreational fishing opportunities, and for research concerning tidal fishery resources. The Department shall publicly report annually the amounts collected and the expenditures.
(c) A person may fish for finfish in the Chesapeake Bay or its tidal tributaries or in State waters of the Atlantic Ocean and coastal bays and their tributaries without a Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license if the person:
(3) Holds a valid tidal water sport fishing license issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, or District of Columbia, provided that this exemption shall not take effect until the Secretary has published notice in the Maryland Register of the Secretary's determination that the Virginia, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, or District of Columbia requirements for a tidal water sport fishing license are substantially similar to and reciprocal with the Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license requirements of this section;
(d)(1) The Department may provide by regulation for issuance of a special charter boat license that shall be effective for not more than 1 year and shall expire on August 31 and that would be valid for all individuals on a single vessel operated by a fishing guide licensed under § 4-210.1 of this title or § 4-701 of this subtitle or for all individuals on a vessel under the guidance of a fishing guide licensed under § 4-210 of this title in tidal waters of the State. The fee shall be:
(i) For 6 fishermen or less
$240.
(ii) For 7 or more fishermen
$290.
(2)(i) The Department may provide by regulation for issuance of an annual special Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license, which when permanently affixed to a boat registered in any state shall authorize any person on the boat to fish for finfish in the Chesapeake Bay or in its tributaries up to tidal boundaries or in State waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic coastal bays and their tributaries, except that such a license may not be used on a boat that has been hired to take such persons fishing.
(iii) If a boat owner purchases the special license under this paragraph, the boat owner may fish anywhere in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries or the State waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic coastal bays and their tributaries, whether the boat owner is fishing in the owner's boat, in another person's boat, on land, or elsewhere. The Department shall issue a complimentary Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license to the boat owner who purchases a special license under this paragraph. If a boat to which the special license is affixed has more than one owner, then only the individual applicant who signs the application for the special license shall be entitled to a complimentary Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license under this paragraph.
(e)(1) In this subsection, “former prisoner of war” means a person who, while serving in the active military, naval, or air service of the United States, was forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by an enemy government or its agents, or a hostile force, during a period of armed conflict.
(3) The Department may issue a lifetime complimentary Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license to an out-of-state person who certifies that the person is a former prisoner of war or a 100% service connected disabled American veteran if the person's state of residence extends similar privileges to former prisoners of war or 100% service connected disabled American veterans of this State.
Credits
Added by Acts 1984, c. 792. Amended by Acts 1985, c. 407; Acts 1985, c. 636; Acts 1988, c. 6, § 1; Acts 1988, c. 172; Acts 1990, c. 40; Acts 1991, c. 199; Acts 1992, c. 602; Acts 1993, c. 531; Acts 1994, c. 3, § 1, eff. Feb. 28, 1994; Acts 1994, c. 202, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1994; Acts 1999, c. 660, § 1, eff. June 1, 1999; Acts 2000, c. 61, § 1, eff. April 25, 2000; Acts 2004, c. 83, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2004; Acts 2005, c. 25, § 1, eff. April 12, 2005; Acts 2005, c. 288, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2005; Acts 2007, c. 71, § 1, eff. June 1, 2007; Acts 2007, c. 217, § 1, eff. July 1, 2007; Acts 2009, c. 60, § 5, eff. April 14, 2009; Acts 2009, c. 207, § 1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2010, c. 465, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Acts 2011, c. 65, § 1, eff. April 12, 2011; Acts 2012, c. 430, § 1, eff. July 1, 2012; Acts 2015, c. 376, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2015; Acts 2016, c. 85, § 1, eff. July 1, 2016; Acts 2016, c. 117, § 1, eff. June 1, 2016; Acts 2017, c. 461, § 1, eff. July 1, 2017 Acts 2017, c. 462, § 1, eff. July 1, 2017; Acts 2017, c. 463, § 1, eff. July 1, 2017; Acts 2019, c. 8, § 1, eff. March 27, 2019; Acts 2019, c. 259, § 1, eff. October 1, 2019; Acts 2019, c. 260, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2019; Acts 2020, c. 628, § 1, eff. May 8, 2020; Acts 2021, c. 286, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2022, c. 409, § 1, eff. June 1, 2022; Acts 2022, c. 410, § 1, eff. June 1, 2022.
MD Code, Natural Resources, § 4-745, MD NAT RES § 4-745
Current through legislation effective through April 9, 2023, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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