California Legislature puts off bill to create Year-Round fishing licenses

A bill to create year-round sportfishing licenses will not be addressed by the California Legislature this year due to the truncated legislative session.

Under current law, fishing licenses expire on December 31 of each year regardless of when the license is purchased, which NMMA and the recreational boating and fishing community are working to fix.

“California anglers have every reason to be disappointed that fishing license reform will not come in 2020,” said Marko Mlikotin, executive director of the California Sportfishing League, an organization that sponsored the bill. “For decades, California’s costly and antiquated fishing license program has contributed to declining fishing participation rates and fewer economic benefits for communities and jobs dependent on outdoor recreation.”

The bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Jim Wood indicated that he will reintroduce the measure next year, most likely before the end of February 2021.