A charter captain or boat license is required to carry paying customers (where a fee is paid directly or indirectly) for the purpose of taking, attempting to take, or possessing saltwater fish or organisms. To be a saltwater fishing guide in Florida, you must comply with U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) requirements. The U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) requires all operators of for-hire vessels to have a captain license/merchant mariner credential. Charter, headboat and saltwater fishing guide operations must have an FWC charter captain or boat license to cover their passengers, who are not required to hold a recreational saltwater fishing license. Customers authorized to fish under the vessel license are not required to have a recreational saltwater fishing license.

Dive Charters: Scuba divers engaged in fishing or lobstering must have an individual saltwater fishing license and all necessary permits if the vessel they are on does not have the required vessel license.

What the FWC saltwater charter license authorizes:

• The vessel license holder is to carry up to the number of fishing passengers specified on the license

• The number of customers specified on the FWC vessel license to take, attempt to take, or possess a limit of saltwater fish or organisms for noncommercial purposes without purchasing a recreational saltwater fishing license

• A person who holds the charter captain license does not need to purchase his recreational saltwater fishing license to fish recreationally from a vessel. He may use his charter captain because it's tied to him. This does not apply to a charter boat/vessel license

What the FWC saltwater charter license does not authorize:

• Harvest in commercial quantities or the sale of fish

• Passengers (whether licensed, not licensed or exempt from licensure) more than the number specified on the FWC vessel license to take, attempt to take, or possess a limit of saltwater fish or organisms (even if licensed by the USCG to carry more paying passengers)

• The captain and crew taking, attempting to take, or possessing a limit of fish or organisms under the vessel license

• Freshwater fishing guides

For more information, please visit Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.