New Boating and Fishing Fees for 2024

New Year’s Day 2024 will bring more than just cheer and “Auld Lang Syne” for Californians who love getting out on the water, with new fees for fishing enthusiasts, boat operators and boat owners.

 

Fishing Licenses

The fees for both resident and nonresident anglers have risen by a daunting 300 percent, but since they were not terribly expensive before, most of us can probably endure the extra expense this year. The new, 365-day resident license costs $61.82, and the nonresident fee is $166.89. The Ocean Enhancement Validation costs an extra $7.05, the Second Rod Validation is $19.44 and the annual second-rod fee is now $19.44.

Short-term licenses are also available for those who rarely get out on the water. A one-day resident pass is $20.26 and a two-day pass is $31.06, just right for a quick vacation to Big Bear Lake or the Channel Islands.

Keep in mind there are Fishing Report Cards required for several endangered species, including North Coast salmon, steelhead trout, sturgeon and spiny lobster. Each species has a separate card with its own fee, all of them ranging from $8 to $12.

 

California Boater Card

The New Year has brought yet another change for individuals operating motorized boats in freshwater or ocean water along the Pacific coast. First, all California boaters 16 to 60 years of age will be required to possess a California Boater Card. By Jan. 25, 2025, this requirement will include California boat operators over 60. An exception is made for boaters aged 12 to 15, who may operate a vessel of no more than 15 horsepower, and youngsters supervised by adults on sailboats of no longer than 30 feet.

To receive the Boater Card, which is issued by the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW), you must take a boater safety course and pass an exam approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).

Bear in mind there are a few common-sense exceptions to this requirement. First, this does not apply to rowing dinghies, canoes or kayaks. Another exception is made for individuals operating motor-powered dinghies from ship to shore.

Additionally, the Boater Card is not required of individuals renting boats, a decision resulting from heavy lobbying by the boating industry, but do not be surprised to see this change at some point in the future. There is also an exemption for individuals operating a vessel under the direct supervision of someone aged 18 or over who possesses a California Boater Card.

Also, if you are master of an ocean-going vessel along the California coast in a major shipping port, such as the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, you may operate the vessel with your U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license or equivalent from outside the U.S.

By the way, the fine for the first infraction of operating a motorized vessel in California without a Boater Card is “not more than $100,” second infraction “not more than $250” and the third infraction “not more than $500.” So the onus is on the vast majority of boat operators to receive the appropriate training, take an approved test and get the Boater Card as soon as possible.

 

Vessel Registration and Renewal

            If you own a vessel over eight feet long or any vessel with a motor, regardless of length, within the state of California, you must register it with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) before operating it on state rivers, lakes or coast, unless your vessel is documented by the U.S. Coast Guard.

When measuring our boats for registration, some of us may be wondering, how does one determine boat length for legal purposes? Does that include an outboard motor, a bowsprit, a mizzen boom or a windvane self-steering system? We can just hear the state courts wrangling over these and other questions open to interpretation. If possible, do some homework and try to determine what the standard is for your vessel before writing that check.

If you are registering a vessel for the first time, you must provide a California Certificate of Ownership and Application for Vessel Certificate of Number, along with applicable fees, at your local DMV office.

The original fee for registering a vessel is $29 if sold in an even year, $49 if sold in an odd year. Registration renewal is $20, due in odd years, and the penalty for overdue payment is $10.

 

Quagga Mussel Sticker Fee

            Aside from vessel registration, all vessels operating on inland waters must have a California Mussel Fee Sticker, also known as a “Quagga Sticker,” said Adeline Yee of the California State Parks Department. Yee pointed out, “Over 620,000 vessel owners received their biannual vessel renewal notices from the DMV in September,” and many of these vessels will require the Quagga Sticker.

Quagga and zebra mussels live in freshwater and can grow to over one inch long, big enough to clog up cooling systems on boat engines and harm freshwater habitats, threatening the survival of thousands of animal and plant species.

Vessels documented by the USCG or used exclusively on ocean water are exempt from the Quagga Sticker requirement. However, Yee explained, the moment a California-registered boat ventures into freshwater, that vessel is required to have a Quagga Sticker. Southern California coastal estuaries, which largely have been closed off over the last century, are still prominent in the Long Beach and Oceanside areas, so be prepared to purchase the Quagga Sticker for your boat if you venture into those shallow freshwater areas.

Your $16 fee, separate from your vessel fee, is intended to support the state’s Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention programs. This transaction is separate from the DMV vessel sticker and paid biennially in addition to the registration fee.

After you receive the sticker, peel off the backing and affix it directly abaft and level with the state vessel registration number on each side of the vessel. Please remember, this is for inland and coastal estuary vessels only, as quagga and zebra mussels live in freshwater, not ocean water.

 

Although it may seem like a huge pile of errands to run, a new annual fishing license, a once-in-a-lifetime California Boater Card and biannual vessel registration renewal with Mussel Sticker fee are minor matters when compared with the joy of getting outdoors to sail, motor, ski or fish to our hearts’ delight. See you out on the water!