(a) A person, firm, or corporation that operates a fishing pier open to the general public in the inside waters of the State of Alabama as defined by Rule 220-3-.04 of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, may purchase a public fishing pier license to be issued by the Marine Resources Division of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The fee for a public fishing pier license shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000) per year, which fee shall be subject to adjustment as provided for in Section 9-11-69. Any law or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, a resident of the State of Alabama may fish from a licensed public fishing pier in the inside waters of the State of Alabama without purchasing a fishing license. A licensed public fishing pier shall be open to the general public. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the operator of a licensed public fishing pier from charging a fee for the use of the pier.
(b) A person who has been a bona fide resident of this state for a period of not less than 90 days next preceding and who is age 16 through 64, may fish from piers open to the general public in the Gulf of Mexico or the inside waters of the State of Alabama as defined by Rule 220-3-.04 of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources by angling with rod and reel or by use of any artificial bait, fly, lure, gig, cast net, bow, or crab trap that is not required to be licensed by Section 9-12-124, after purchasing an annual saltwater pier fishing license at a cost of five dollars ($5), which fee shall be subject to adjustment as provided for in Section 9-11-69. A nonresident may fish from piers open to the general public in the Gulf of Mexico or the inside waters of the State of Alabama as defined by Rule 220-3-.04 of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources by angling with rod and reel or by use of any artificial bait, fly, lure, gig, cast net, bow, or crab trap that is not required to be licensed by Section 9-12-124, after purchasing an annual saltwater pier fishing license at a cost of ten dollars ($10), which fee shall be subject to adjustment as provided for in Section 9-11-69. Alabama residents and nonresidents possessing a current saltwater fishing license, residents and nonresidents under age 16, and residents age 65 or over are expressly exempt from the requirements of this subsection.
(c) The licenses provided for in this section may be purchased from any judge of probate, license commissioner, revenue commissioner, or other officer authorized to issue licenses upon application on forms furnished by the Division of Marine Resources of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and payment of the required fee for the license plus a one dollar ($1) issuance fee, which fee shall be subject to adjustment as provided for in Section 9-11-69.
(d) The licenses provided for in this section shall be issued on an annual basis and shall expire on August 31 of each year.
(e) Any revenue derived from the sale of these licenses shall be remitted to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on the first day of each month by the issuing officer and shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Marine Resources Fund.
(f) Any violation of this section shall be a Class C misdemeanor punishable as provided by law except that the minimum fine shall not be less than fifty dollars ($50). In addition, the punishment for a violation of subsection (a) shall include an additional mandatory fine of twice the amount of the license.
Last modified: May 3, 2021