URGENT: 2020 – 2021 Commercial Fishing License Renewal
2020 – 2021 Commercial Fishing License Renewal Extension
You may have received a renewal notice from the department notifying you that your renewal must be
completed before August 31, 2020. We realize that there have been unforeseen circumstances due to the
pandemic which have made it difficult for licensees to renew their licenses.
Therefore the department is extending the deadline for these licenses and authorizations to
September 30, 2020.
Existing commercial fishing licenses that are up for renewal WILL BE VALID through September
30, 2020. Striped bass authorizations must be renewed by September 15, 2020.
AUTHORIZATION LIST
Based on Executive Order No. 20-06-19-01 dated June 19, 2020, the Secretary of the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) finds while certain commercial fishing licenses, authorizations
and permits must be renewed timely to ensure Maryland’s compliance with inter-jurisdictional
management compacts including the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the U.S
Food and Drug Administration’s National Shellfish Sanitation Program requirements for shellfish harvest.
DNR will adhere to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Maryland Department of Health (MDH)
guidelines while issuing covered authorizations.
In order to expedite processing, certain licensees can be renewed by accessing the 2020-2021 commercial
license renewal form online and then faxing, emailing or delivering it to a license center by appointment.
The renewal form can be found via the following link:
DNR_C-1_Form-Fishing
Other licenses, such as striped bass permits, clam authorizations and oyster authorizations, require an in-
person visit to our licensing centers. You can schedule an in-person appointment at each of our licensing service centers via the following link:
https://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/License-Processing-During-COVID-19-Closure.aspx
