• Florida saltwater fishing requires a license.fishing lure image by Mitchell Knapton from Fotolia.com
  
  Saltwater fishing in Florida requires a license from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Florida residents pay considerably less than non-residents for their licenses. Requirements for fishing in saltwater depend on the type of fishing--shoreline or offshore--and the type of catch. Lobster, snook and tarpon, for example, require an additional permit.
  
  

Private Fishing: Licenses and Cost

• Florida residents can purchase an annual saltwater fishing license for $17 or a five-year license for $79. Other options include freshwater, saltwater and hunting combination licenses. There are circumstances that do not require licensing. For example, residents do not need a license if they are fishing from shore and qualify for government aid, are under 16, or are using a pole without a reel. Non-residents can opt for an annual pass at $47 or a three-day or seven-day pass.
  
  

Commercial Fishing

• Commercial fishermen have more strenuous requirements. Licenses must be obtained to catch a certain amount of fish. Exceeding the catch limit or fishing for restricted species requires an additional endorsement. Selling the catch requires a Saltwater Products License (SPL). Fishermen must have a tag for trapping spiny lobster, blue crab or stone crab. Licensing for commercial fishermen starts at $50 for residents and ranges to more than $1,000.
  
  

Body of Water Rules

• Certain bodies of water have different requirements. Fishing for reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico, for instance, requires a venting tool and de-hooking device. These tools are required as needed in the Atlantic Ocean. Most nets can be used for private or commercial fishing. However, the use of explosives is prohibited in Florida waters. Spearfishing is limited to most open waters far from shore that are not protected by the Department of Environmental Protection.