The following article appeared in Fishing Lines - the newsletter which is a quarterly newsletter from the Division of Marine Resources of the Department of Environmental Protection of the State of Florida. The article that follows was copied from Issue 5, January 1998.
You Do Not Need a License If You Are:
A Florida resident fishing from land
or a structure fixed to the land - a pier,
bridge, dock, floating dock, jetty or
similar structure - but not from a boat.
A Florida resident who is 65 years
old or older.
A Florida resident who is a member
of the U. S. Armed Forces, who is not
stationed in this state, while on leave
for 30 days or less, upon submission of
orders. This does not include family
members.
A Florida resident who is fishing for
mullet in fresh water - with a valid
Florida fresh water fishing license.
A Florida resident fishing for
saltwater fish in fresh water from land
or from a structure fixed to the land.
Under 16 years of age.
Fishing from a boat that has a valid
recreational vessel saltwater fishing
license.
A nonresident fishing from a pier
that has a valid pier saltwater fishing
license.
A holder of a valid commercial
saltwater products license. (Only one
person fishing under a vessel saltwater
products license may claim the
exemption on the vessel for which the
saltwater products license is
registered.)
Any person who has been
accepted as a client for developmental
services by HRS (Florida Dept. of
Health and Rehabilitative Services) or
any licensed provider of services
through contract with HRS, where
such service involves the need,
normally, for possession of a saltwater
fishing license and such service is
provided as part of a court-decided
rehabilitation program involving
training in Florida's aquatic resources.
A Florida resident who is certified
permanently and totally disabled may
obtain a "disabled persons certificate"
which allows them to fish in both
saltwater and freshwater at no charge
from a county tax collector.