December 17, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Beginning January 2, 2020, commercial and recreational fishermen will be able to renew their current federal fishing permits online using our web-based system in Fish Online. In the online system, you will not have to include/upload copies of your Coast Guard documentation or your state registrations. Also, gear codes are no longer required. Submissions via mail and fax will remain options, but we recommend fishermen take advantage of the speed and ease of renewing their permits online.
To access the online renewal and application systems, create or sign-in to your Fish Online account and click on Application Forms in the left margin. For assistance with Fish Online, call our Help Desk at 978-281-9188.