License Fees & Requirements

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Fishing License Type	Category	Fee	State Reporting Requirements	Available at Concord headquarters or via mail only (HQ)* or can be purchased online (O)
Recreational Saltwater Fishing¹^,** Allows taking, possessing, or transporting finfish from N.H. coastal and estuarine waters. Exempt if fishing on licensed charter or party boat.	Resident or nonresident ages 16 and older (including permanent licenses)	$11.00	No	O
Resident Softshell Clam** N.H. residents only. See Shellfish for rules.	Age 6–67	$30.00	No	O
	68 years and older — see above	Free	No	HQ
Resident Oyster** N.H. residents only. See Shellfish for rules.	Age 0–67	$30.00	No	O
	68 years and older — see above	Free	No	HQ
Saltwater Fishing Charter Boat¹ Allows a for-hire vessel less than 100 gross tons and USCG licensed to carry 6 or fewer passengers to provide recreational saltwater fishing opportunity to take, possess, or transport finfish from N.H. coastal and estuarine waters.	Resident or nonresident	$51.00 per vessel	No	HQ
Saltwater Fishing Party Boat¹ Allows a vessel holding a valid USCG Certificate of Inspection to carry passengers for-hire to provide recreational saltwater fishing opportunity to take, possess, or transport finfish from N.H. coastal and estuarine waters.	Resident or nonresident	$101.00 per vessel	No	HQ
Resident Commercial Sea Clam		$300.00	Yes	HQ
Resident Lobster and Crab Required to take lobsters and crabs from state waters. All persons eligible for Commercial or Limited Commercial licenses must purchase a license or submit an affidavit by June 30 each year in order to maintain eligibility for the license.	Recreational: 5 pots maximum	$40.00⁸	Yes	HQ
	Part-time Commercial²: 100 pots maximum	$125.00⁸
	Limited Commercial³: 600 pots maximum	$200.00⁸
	Commercial³: 1,200 pots maximum	$350.00⁸
	Helper’s License⁴	$20.00
Nonresident Lobster and Crab⁵ Prohibited if applicant’s state excludes nonresident harvest.	Part-time Commercial 100 pots maximum	$350.00⁸
	Limited Commercial:600 pots maximum	$400.00⁸
	Commercial: 1,200 pots maximum	$600.00⁸
	Helper’s License	$20.00
Retail Trade of Lobster Meat and Crab Meat Separate license required for any markets, stores, restaurants, vehicles or other facilities where lobsters and crabs are sold.	Resident	$50.00	No	HQ
	Nonresident	$75.00	No	HQ
Landing License for Lobster and Crab Required to transport lobsters and crabs from outside the state’s jurisdiction to land and/or sell in N.H., unless a N.H. Lobster and Crab license or either N.H. resident or non-resident Commercial Saltwater License is held.	Resident	$50.00	No	HQ
	Nonresident	$500.00	No	HQ
Resident Commercial Saltwater Required to take, land, transport or possess marine species with the intent to sell, regardless of method. Does not allow taking lobsters or crabs from state waters or taking, possession, landing or transport of northern shrimp. Includes operator and unlimited helpers. License is not issued to a vessel, it is issued to an individual. Harvest permit required if fish in NH waters.	Resident	$50.00⁸	Yes, Menhaden, dogfish and herring dealers	HQ
Nonresident Commercial Saltwater Required to take, land, transport or possess marine species with the intent to sell, regardless of method. Includes operator and unlimited helpers. Allows for the landing of lobsters taken from areas outside the jurisdiction of New Hampshire. License is not issued to a vessel; it is issued to an individual. Does not allow for the taking, possession, landing or transportation of northern shrimp. Harvest permit required if fish in NH waters. Taking of sea urchins, clam worms, river herring and scallops is prohibited if applicant’s state excludes nonresident harvest.	Nonresident	$500.00⁸	Yes, Menhaden, dogfish and herring dealers	HQ
Commercial Shrimp License Required to take, possess, land or transport northern shrimp on the waters of the state for sale, regardless of where catch was taken.	Resident	$100.00	Yes	HQ
	Nonresident	$500.00	Yes	HQ
Wholesale Marine Species Required to buy, sell, process and transport marine species if wholesaling marine species. A separate extra facility license shall be required for each market, store, vehicle or facility where marine species are bought or sold at wholesale. Vehicles used solely for the transportation of marine species are not required to be licensed as an extra facility, as long as the wholesale marine dealer is licensed. Cannot transport lobster and crab taken outside of the state by boat with this license. Need to obtain either a Commercial Saltwater License or Landing License.	Resident	$130.00	Yes—Lobster, Shrimp, Crab, Menhaden and Dogfish Dealers	HQ
	Nonresident	$260.00
	Resident Extra Facility	$75.00
	Nonresident Extra Facility	$100.00
Harvest Permit Required to take finfish by seine, net, weir, pot or trap, horseshoe crab by any method, or American eel by any method but angling, from coastal and estuarine waters of N.H. Also required to take any species, except lobsters and crabs, for commercial purposes from state waters, unless reporting that catch via vessel trip reports to NOAA Fisheries. Available at Durham office.		Free	Yes	Contact Marine Fisheries
Shrimp Processing Permit Required to possess shrimp during closed season. Available at Durham office.		Free	No	Contact Marine Fisheries
Sea Herring Possession Permit Required to possess sea herring. Available at Durham office.		Free	No	Contact Marine Fisheries
Aquaculture License Marine-related aquaculture licenses are issued by N.H. Fish and Game, Marine Fisheries Division. Contact Marine Fisheries directly at (603) 868-1095.		$200.00^6,⁸	Yes	Contact Marine Fisheries
Scientific Permit Marine-related scientific permits are issued by N.H. Fish and Game, Marine Fisheries Division. Contact Marine Fisheries directly at (603) 868-1095.		$25.00⁷	Yes	Contact Marine Fisheries
Limited Annual Saltwater License for Lifetime Licensees Allows for persons holding a lifetime fishing or combination license purchased before 2011 to take saltwater smelt, saltwater shad, or saltwater salmonids. Contact N.H. Fish and Game in Concord or download an application from fishnh.com/marine.	Resident	Free	No	HQ
* – See fishnh.com/marine to print and mail an application or buy a license. ** – A $2 transaction fee is charged for each recreational license form. ($2.75 online) 1. – See Recreational Licenses for more on saltwater license types, including information on reciprocity between states. 2. – New license holders limited to 100 traps maximum. 3. – Limited entry licenses — for further information, contact the Marine Fisheries Division at (603) 868-1095. 4. – Helper’s license required for each helper (no residency requirement for helpers). 5. – Eligible only if applicant’s state provides reciprocal licensing privileges. 6. – Additional fees associated with license. 7. – Fee waiver only for educational and nonprofit institutions and government agencies. 8. – A $15 derelict fishing gear surcharge will be applied to this license. A licensee shall be exempted from the surcharge if the licensee engages in satisfactory participation in the previous year’s department qualifying coast clean program(s). For aquaculture license, only applies to 5-year aquaculture license.