New North Carolina Laws for 2007

Just a quick reminder, new fishing /boating regulations go into effect for North Carolina anglers as of Jan. 1, 2007.

The first is a new Coastal Recreational Fishing License or salt water fishing license:

Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, any person 16 and older who wants to fish recreationally in any water designated as coastal and joint waters of North Carolina must purchase a Coastal Recreational Fishing License (CRFL). The N.C. General Assembly passed legislation in 2004 to create a saltwater license, and Governor Mike Easley signed it into law in 2005.


Also the long standing tradition of being able to fish in your home county with natural bait without a license is now illegal:

Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, any person 16 and older fishing in North Carolina's public waters (excluding private ponds) must have a fishing license. Additionally, anglers fishing with natural bait (i.e., worms, crickets, etc.) will no longer be able to fish in public, inland waters in their county of residence without a license. In 2005, the General Assembly passed new legislation that repealed the "natural bait exemption," which allowed people to fish in the public, inland fishing waters in their county of residence without a fishing license as long as they were fishing with natural bait.

Finally, All motorized watercraft over 14 foot long must now be titled in order to be transferred.

Anyone who purchases or transfers a motorized vessel 14 feet or longer, who owns a personal watercraft (jet ski) or who has a lien on a vessel, regardless of size, will be required to title the vessel effective Jan. 1, 2007. This mandatory titling requirement will affect only new vessel purchases and transfers; existing vessel owners will not be required to obtain a title certificate. The cost to title a vessel will remain at $20 and is effective until the owner sells or transfers the vessel

Here is a link to the NCWRC website for the details.