Maine § 12 §6421 Lobster and crab fishing licenses

Maine Statutes

§ 12 §6421 — Lobster and crab fishing licenses

Maine § 12 §6421

Title 12CONSERVATION

Part 9MARINE RESOURCES

Ch. 619LOBSTER AND CRAB FISHING LICENSES

This text of Maine § 12 §6421 (Lobster and crab fishing licenses) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 12, § 12 §6421 (2026).

Text

1.License required. A person may not engage in the activities authorized under this section without a current:

2.Licensed activity. The holder of a Class I, Class II, Class III, apprentice or student lobster and crab fishing license may fish for, take, possess, ship or transport within the State lobsters or crabs and sell lobsters or crabs the license holder has taken. The license does not authorize the license holder to remove lobster meat from the shell or to take, possess, transport or ship lobster parts or meat. The holder of a Class II or Class III license is liable for the licensed activities under this subsection of all unlicensed crew members assisting that licensee. 2-A. Licensed activity; noncommercial license. The holder of a noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license may

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1.
License required.
A person may not engage in the activities authorized under this section without a current:
2.
Licensed activity.
The holder of a Class I, Class II, Class III, apprentice or student lobster and crab fishing license may fish for, take, possess, ship or transport within the State lobsters or crabs and sell lobsters or crabs the license holder has taken. The license does not authorize the license holder to remove lobster meat from the shell or to take, possess, transport or ship lobster parts or meat. The holder of a Class II or Class III license is liable for the licensed activities under this subsection of all unlicensed crew members assisting that licensee.
2-A.
Licensed activity; noncommercial license.
The holder of a noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license may fish for, take, possess, ship or transport within the State lobsters or crabs the license holder has taken. The license does not authorize the license holder to sell lobsters or to remove lobster meat from the shell or to take, possess, transport or ship lobster parts or meat.
2-B.
Licensed activity; nonresident lobster and crab landing permit.
The holder of a nonresident lobster and crab landing permit may possess, transport and sell within the State lobsters or crabs the license holder has taken from outside Maine's territorial waters. The permit does not authorize the permit holder to remove lobster meat from the shell or to take, possess, transport or ship lobster parts or meat.
3.
License limitation.
3-A.
License limitation.
A license authorizes activities by individuals as follows.
4.
Exception.
A license is not required for a person:
5.
Eligibility.
A noncommercial or student lobster and crab fishing license may only be issued to an individual who is a resident. A Class I, Class II or Class III license may be issued to a person 17 years of age or older only if the person:
5-A.
Student lobster and crab fishing license eligibility.
A student lobster and crab fishing license may be issued to a person who, at the time of application, is 8 years of age or older and under 23 years of age and who is:
5-B.
Noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license eligibility.
Beginning with license year 2003, a noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license may be issued only to a person who, at the time of application, is 8 years of age or older and has:
5-C.
Apprentice lobster and crab fishing license eligibility.
An apprentice lobster and crab fishing license may be issued only to a person who, at the time of application, is 8 years of age or older.
5-D.
Nonresident lobster and crab landing permit eligibility.
A nonresident lobster and crab landing permit may be issued only to an individual who:
5-E.
Exception; nonresident lobster and crab landing permit with an established base of operations in State.
An individual may be excepted from subsection 5‑D, paragraph C as long as the individual submits documentation to the commissioner by December 31, 2011 that the individual operated a lobster and crab fishing vessel with an established base of operations in the State as a nonresident in calendar years 2010 and 2011. Documentation must include at a minimum proof of lobster landings at a Maine dealer, proof of utilization of a mooring or dock in a Maine harbor for a sufficient time to meet the requirements to be an established base of operations in this State pursuant to section 6001, subsection 13‑I, proof that the individual possessed a valid federal lobster permit or a valid lobster fishing license from a state other than this State and proof that the individual did not meet the resident provisions under section 6301, subsection 1.
6.
Buoy colors.
Each license applicant must describe, on the application, a single color design of the applicant's buoys.
7.
Fee.
7-A.
Fee.
7-B.
License fee.
The fee for a lobster and crab fishing license is:
7-C.
License surcharge.
In addition to the license fee established in subsection 7‑B, the commissioner shall assess a surcharge on each license issued under this section as follows:
7-D.
Qualified resident disabled veteran; fee waived.
Notwithstanding subsection 7‑B, there is no fee for a noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license issued to a qualified resident disabled veteran. For the purposes of this subsection, "qualified resident disabled veteran" means a person who:
8.
Exception.
9.
Violation.
A person who violates this section commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be adjudged.

Legislative History

PL 1977, c. 661, §5 (NEW). PL 1977, c. 713, §4 (AMD). PL 1979, c. 205 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 480, §§1,15,16 (AMD). PL 1983, c. 824, §K3 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 243 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 379, §1 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 455, §2 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 528, §RRR (AFF). PL 1991, c. 528, §T1 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 591, §T1 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 617, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 499, §§2,3 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 468, §3 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 568, §1 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 250, §§1-6 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 250, §10 (AFF). PL 1997, c. 574, §1 (AMD). RR 1999, c. 1, §16 (COR). PL 1999, c. 330, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 397, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 490, §1 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 643, §3 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 658, §1 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 790, §B1 (AMD). RR 2001, c. 2, §§A14,15 (COR). PL 2001, c. 421, §§B19-21 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 421, §C1 (AFF). PL 2001, c. 581, §1 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 20, §WW2 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 452, §F8 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 452, §X2 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 466, §1 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 466, §5 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 468, §§1-4 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 239, §1 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 354, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 138, §1 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 201, §§4-11 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 204, §1 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 219, §1 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 615, §9 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 188, §2 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 78, §1 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 188, §3 (AFF). PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. G, §§2,3 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 5, §1 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §§5-8 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 486, §1 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 282, §3 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 68, §3 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 428, §1 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. EEEEE, §§2-4 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 320, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 204, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 210, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 225, §§7-9 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 259, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 575, §§1, 2 (AMD).