On Tuesday, June 8, 2021, Governor David Ige signed House Bill 1023 into law.  The bill establishes and requires a marine recreational fishing license for all non-Hawai‘i residents. Visitors will need to purchase this license in order to fish from the shoreline or a boat in Hawaiian waters.  

Charter boat clients are included in the new law, which took effect immediately upon signing.  However, the bill requires the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) to first adopt a corresponding administrative rule and to develop a licensing system. This process could take close to a year to complete.

Most states require fishing licenses, so getting a license should prove routine for most fishers.

Revenues generated by license sales will help support fishing opportunities and provide state-matching funds for the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program. By law, revenues will be put into a special fund that can only be used for sport fish management. Recreational fishing license revenues must, by law, be deposited into a special fund, and may be used only for sport fish management. DAR has a number of continuing sport fish restoration projects, including fish aggregating devices (FADs), artificial reefs, fish stocking, and others which benefit recreational fishers.

Below is a list of the out-of-state fishing license fees:

• One-day license $20
• Seven-day license $40
• Annual license $70
• No license needed for children 15 and younger
• No license needed for active military, spouses, and children

DLNR has the option of increasing fees, but not more than once every five years, and increases must be tied to the consumer price index. It’s estimated once up and running, fishing licenses for non-residents will generate upwards of $1 million annually.