Since May 4, 2011, anglers who fish New Jersey marine waters must register every year with the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program at saltwaterregistry.nj.gov or face fines of $25 for a first offense, and $50 for subsequent offenses. Any owner/operator of a for-hire vessel that fails to register with the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program will be subject to a penalty of $100 for a first offense and $200 for subsequent offenses.
Signed into law in 2011, state statute N.J.S.A. 23:2B-22 required the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a free recreational saltwater registry to serve as a contact list of anglers and vessel owners/operators for survey purposes. “An angler registry will facilitate better recreational fishing data in two ways: first it creates a database of recreational fishermen; and second, it allows for an improved survey pool,” the DEP states online at saltwaterregistry.nj.gov.
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife recently released their year-end report for 2022 that shows there were 138,607 individuals and 732 for-hire vessels registered with the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program. Those registration numbers are down from 2021 when there were 143,704 individuals and 745 for-hire vessels registered to fish in saltwater.
Before you drop a line in the salt this season, be sure to visit saltwaterregistry.nj.gov and update your 2023 NJ saltwater registry; remember it’s absolutely free for all who fish New Jersey marine waters, residents and non-residents alike. For freshwater licensing and stamp purchases go to njfishandwildlife.com.