FISHING LICENSES & INVASIVE SPECIES DECALS - KAYAKS, INFLATABLES, SUPs, BOATS

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

It appears more and more states are enforcing any motorized or even non-motorized water vessel (over 10ft), and not sure if it was SUPs or Sailboards under 10ft, have to display a special decal at a fee valid for one year.

 

Concerns we have with this as traveling RVers and spending much time on various bodies of water, is where do we easily locate a list of all the states, their fees and how to obtain immediately at that time. Especially when we often don't know for sure which bodies of water we will definitely launch into, until we are physically there at the site. I've heard folks mentioning they have had to travel a couple of hours or more to get the relevant decal or if caught without risk fines around $57 +/-

 

To be very frank, between extortionate non-resident fishing licenses in most states, and now this, we are wondering where it's all going to end for our affordable enjoyment on the road. Totally understand they need to cover some of their costs to implement various services, but when one is travelling between various states/provinces it all starts to get out of hand and very inconvenient. Ironically most non-residents put less stress on the natural resources being present for very short periods of time, yet get penalized on $'s exponentially compared to residents. Only exception we've found yet is our province of Alberta = I pay $38 a year for a fishing license and so would you as non-resident guests pay $38.

 

Why they can't have regional, or better yet country wide licensing with division of proceeds respective to the needs of the individual states/provinces and stress on their specific needs/resources has always eluded us. $127 to spend 3 weeks stopping and starting around Washington state waters in Oct, catching 4 fish that were all released back unharmed, made us realize why so many folks we spoke to told us we shouldn't have bothered buying one, and many of them didn't themselves have one. To buy several multi day licenses worked out higher!

 

Hubby's just bought his 7th Fla annual fishing license as a non-resident for $47 = we have absolutely no issue with that and he spends at least 12 to 15 weeks a year down there fishing, but if they can do it at that price, why can't others. British Columbia would cost us around $163 for non-resident licenses, so it's US and Canadian extortion in certain states and provinces affecting us all.

Look forward to hearing from anyone else that loves being on the water, that maybe has a link to where it details which states, what fees and where to obtain the Invasive Species Decals required now.

[trailertraveler]

...Why they can't have regional, or better yet country wide licensing with division of proceeds respective to the needs of the individual states/provinces and stress on their specific needs/resources has always eluded us. $127 to spend 3 weeks stopping and starting around Washington state waters in Oct, catching 4 fish that were all released back unharmed, made us realize why so many folks we spoke to told us we shouldn't have bothered buying one, and many of them didn't themselves have one. To buy several multi day licenses worked out higher!,,.

You have asked this before and the answer is still the same. In the United States, the management of fish and wildlife resources is a state issue. There have been a number of court challenges over the years and decisions all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court have supported the individual state's rights to manage non-migratory fish and game species that do not fall under the protection of the federal Endangered Species Act. Whether the cost of a fishing license is worth it to you is a personal matter. I think they are a pretty good deal compared to the cost of many other forms of recreation and entertainment. As for the convenience of obtaining fishing licenses, most states have them available online. This site provides links for every state that list license vendors and websites online sales if available.

 

... Only exception we've found yet is our province of Alberta = I pay $38 a year for a fishing license and so would you as non-resident guests pay $38...

Not quite true. Any Canadian can fish in Alberta for the same license fee as an Alberta resident (which is not true in all the Canadian Provinces) but according to the Alberta website a non-Canadian citizen will pay $70.90 rather than $28.00 for a Basic license to fish in Alberta. I am not aware of any state that differentiates between citizens and non-citizens in their fishing license fees. However, at one time there were a few states that charged nonresidents what their home state charged nonresidents. I do not know if that is still true in any of those states.

 

 

...Ironically most non-residents put less stress on the natural resources being present for very short periods of time, yet get penalized on $'s exponentially compared to residents...

Not sure about the validity of this statement. Do you have a reference to a study/studies that show this to be true? A vacationer/visitor may fish in a particular area every day during their visit to the area. A resident may only fish on weekends and vacation time. Most of the studies that I have seen have concluded that catch rates are mostly related to the hours spent fishing. In many states, the wildlife agencies receive funding from the general funds which come from the taxes that the residents pay which non-residents do not pay.

 

... Look forward to hearing from anyone else that loves being on the water, that maybe has a link to where it details which states, what fees and where to obtain the Invasive Species Decals required now...

 

The same site listed above also provides links to the states' boating laws and regulations.

[TCW]

...It appears more and more states are enforcing any motorized or even non-motorized water vessel (over 10ft), and not sure if it was SUPs or Sailboards under 10ft, have to display a special decal at a fee valid for one year...

If you are referring to requirements for the registration of non-power boats, that has been an increasing trend among the states because the federal excise taxes on boats and boating equipment are distributed to the states based on the number of boats registered in the state. In the U.S., boats are registered in the state of principle use not necessarily the owner's state of residence. In addition there has been a trend toward launch permits for the use of public facilities from the local to the county to the state level. Some states require such a permit for all watercraft, others just for unregistered watercraft. Again, it is my belief that this is related to the distribution of the excise tax funds. At some facilities, the priviledge of launching a boat may be included in the day use fee required of all users. Some states require a boat permit, fishing or hunting license to use a boat ramp located on a state wildlife management area. From what I have experienced, the invasive species decals are mostly in the West and are relatively new. It does take some research to find the applicable regulations, but it is much easier now with the internet then it was years ago.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Travel trailer with all due respect intended, and I truly do appreciate your "no holes barred" comments but No 1. I did not ask the question again, I just made a statement that "it eludes us".

 

Also with regards to your correcting me about Alberta licenses, and I am not arguing with you in the slightest that "you are right". I am not one to wade through hours of government documentation and "maybe, just maybe" wrong outdated website information. I try to do our best with checking as much as for most "lay persons" abilities however, on rules and regs in the areas we frequent, which seem to be getting more and more in every sphere of our daily lives.

 

I was however, going by what we were told firsthand and personally experienced when we went to Canadian Tire in Calgary and bought my husband's most recent license from the fishing desk guy selling it to us. So if that was incorrect then they shouldn't be selling the licenses as they were. He charged us C$38 for my husband's license there and then, and told us that if we go to BC as non-residents we have to pay around $163, yet BC residents can come here to Alberta and pay exactly the same as a resident does. So are you saying he wrongly sold us and wrongly advised us? If this is the case he and I shall be having an interesting conversation next time I am there!

 

I appreciate the issues regarding resources, court cases, challenges etc etc, and maybe for your deep pockets Traveltrailer to pay well in excess of $90/$120/$160+ a fishing license for sporadic days here and there catch and release fishing in each state whilst travelling many, seems cheap entertainment to you - to many others it is far from the same situation. As you say that is your personal choice. Like I said "it eludes us" = it was not a repetitive question, just a statement on my part. I've met untold others in our travels that tell us they love fishing but don't do it when travelling because of the extortionate non-resident fees. What a shame their local economy also loses other industry dollars being spent because of that!

 

As far as my comment regarding tourists typically putting less stress on the resources - that was a very rare seen today thing called "common sense" or so I thought, but maybe I've lost mine like the rest of the world. Vacationers are only present in the area for a short period of time ie; a couple of days to maybe a week or so at most. They also don't carry with them typically a huge chest freezer to put their catches in and can only eat so much at one time, so are more likely to catch and release more often. A local avid fisherman on the other hand tends to fish almost every weekend or every other weekend and often evenings and is more likely to keep more of their catch = that's what we've experienced first hand most places we've fished at. Forgive me no factual evidence, just actual at the waterside visuals and trying to resurrect that old dinosaur called "common sense", or so I thought.

 

Kirk with regards to your comments, which surprised me somewhat from you to be honest. I did not for one minute imply that this was just a states issue. Please read my second to last paragraph end, where I state clearly that it's a certain states and PROVINCES issue that's affecting us all. Likewise, I never for one minute implied that we treat the States versus Canada as a them and us on abiding by rules and regs either. Also I do read and listen as you well know after all these years on this forum, but that doesn't necessarily mean it makes sense to me or many others we've spoken to of similar interests and hobbies whilst RVing.

 

For what little it's worth here: We have met oh so many folks that tell us we are absolutely crazy to buy these ridiculously priced licenses, and true we've never, ever been asked to produce them yet - however, we still buy them for now and have done so since the late 90's. So I think we've done more than our bit in supporting the upkeep both north and south of our borders. Does one not think for one minute that maybe by making it a more "affordable" to many sport it would lead indirectly to more revenue at local business levels as well, more people paying for the licenses than fishing illegally as we know for fact from countless amounts we've spoken to over the years. Of 14 out of 22 fishermen we spoke to on one Salmon River in Washington alone, 10 told us they never buy a license and have never been asked to produce (only two said got asked once years ago). Alas not everything in life is a documented fact, but none the less they are facts.

 

I have no factual evidence to support this either, but everybody only has 'x' amount of dollars to support their lifestyles, and they chose where to spend them, just as some avoid so called "RV unfriendly" towns from a boon docking/dry camping/parking/ordinances perspective and correspondingly not spending their dollars in them, then there'll come a point where certain other places will price themselves out of that market place as well. Ironically when RVing is becoming more and more popular, more states/towns seem to want to do all they can to put certain interest groups off from bringing their wallets into town so to speak.

TCW - HUGE thanks for answering that, which was the question posed - I was just hoping that maybe there was a kind of a "cheat sheet", that just gives a brief overview by state listed in short form, to make it easier than going to each and every individual state websites long winded blurb at the front end for planning. Of course from that we would have short listed and then gone more into the detailed state specific site. Yes for sure we've noticed more and more over the past decade or so charging launching fees, which, provided are a "reasonable" couple of bucks here or there for maintenance of the ramps we don't have an issue with - albeit we don't need a launch with our kayaks and rafts we use for the most part. Thanks again for replying to the question TCW, and to anyone else that might know of anything along these lines for the Invasive Species Decals if you so happen to.

 

Safe and Happy Travels To You All.

[TCW]

...Of 14 out of 22 fishermen we spoke to on one Salmon River in Washington alone, 10 told us they never buy a license and have never been asked to produce (only two said got asked once years ago). Alas not everything in life is a documented fact, but none the less they are facts...

So did you report it? You can usually do so anonymously. Wildlife Conservation Officers in most states are spread so thin that even a general tip of the locations where violations are occurring is a great help. Washington State has a report a poacher hotline. This pdf gives the phone numbers and/or website to report poaching in most states,

[trailertraveler]

...Travel trailer...Traveltrailer...

 

....So are you saying he wrongly sold us and wrongly advised us? If this is the case he and I shall be having an interesting conversation next time I am there!...

 

...maybe for your deep pockets Traveltrailer to pay well in excess of $90/$120/$160+ a fishing license for sporadic days here and there catch and release fishing in each state...

Neither Travel trailer or Traveltrailer are my screen name, but I assume you are addressing me.

 

I have no idea what he sold or told you. However the link to Alberta license fees is pretty straight forward. Here is a link to the British Columbia freshwater fishing license fees. British Columbia appears to require a separate tidal waters license and some species stamps.

 

Your presumption that I have "deep pockets" is very wrong, I wish I did. I personally have never paid $90 or more for a fishing license and can not recall any state that I have been in in the last 10 years of RVing charging that much even for a full season license. However, we stay away from the West Coast states because of the high cost in general of just about everything. How much you fish during a 3 week stay is totally within your control and for me would be part of the determination as to whether to buy a license or not, or whether short term licenses might be cost effective. If catch and release is not mandated by the rules on the particular waters you are fishing, that too is totally your choice and has nothing to do with the cost of a license.

[bobsallyh]

Since we carry a canoe on the roof of our dually the invasive species sticker or lack thereof is a favorite subject of mine. Spending the winter in Yuma, AZ. then traveling thru Nevada, Idaho, and Montana in the summer, the situation is unreal. Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho are all on a different page. In other words "whose on first"? Before going further, I do understand what they are trying to do and agree with the idea, but it is getting harder to want to comply. Let's make like it is spring and we are traveling north for the summer. Our first "Check Point Charlie" will be on US 93 just north of Jackpot, NV. as we cross over into Idaho. Big signs bring us into the checkpoint. Two folks will come out and ask "when and where was the canoe in the water last? Answer, Last August in Swan Lake, MT. OK, where are you going to be putting in? Answer, if it doesn't warm up soon I have no idea. What is your zip code? 77399. Alright, here is a paper showing your boat is clean and do know that to put in Idaho waters you will need an invasive species sticker. Yep, sure do. We go on to Twin Falls and think about putting in at Dierkes Lake. Nope too cold and windy, but do go to Sportsman Warehouse for the sticker. Go to customer service where hunting, fishing licenses, and the sticker are sold. Two gals there, told them what I need. They go to the safe and pullout the now familiar binder with the wrap around bungee cord. One gal says "I'll take care of the paper work, you take care of the money". Name please, address, city, state. Bob XXXXX, Rainbow Dr. Livingston, "where's that"? Texas. "Oh, that is different! Out of state non-motorized craft 10' over is $21.00". I say, nope don't want it. Got the deer in the headlight look since this really screwed up their receipt book as they already wrote out the receipt. Reason I didn't accept was the prior year it was $7.00 and it was my fault I didn't check the website first. So we leave the store and check the website and golly, gee-whiz it still is $7.00. Tried to rip me off! Still didn't put-in. Then off to Idaho Falls. First to Wal-Mart since I knew they sold the stickers. Went to the kiosk in front of the cash register that sells fishing, hunting licenses, gear and the stickers. Cash drawer out on counter, evidently closed. Back to sporting goods dept. Finally a guy comes to the counter, What do you need? Invasive species sticker. "Oh, I don't handle them, the guy up front does that". "Well he is closed", guy looks at his watch, "he is supposed to be there".

Out the door we go. Across Idaho Falls to the other side of town where the Eastern Headquarters of Idaho Parks and Recreation, the daddy of the sticker, is located. I go to the counter, one gal there, another gal back at a computer terminal in a cubicle. Counter gal say’s “how can I help you”? I need an invasive species sticker for our canoe. Oh, OK. Here comes the familiar binder with the bungee. So thinking it would make it easier for the address, etc. I lay my Texas drivers license on the counter. Gal looks at it, writes name down, address next, she says “Livingston, where’s that”? Now there is Texas all over the license including the huge Texas hologram! Now for the kicker, she says, “that is different”. I said “how different”? “That will be $21.00”. As I was getting ready to ask her to check their own website, she asks the gal at the computer how much an out of state non-motorized sticker is. The gal answers $7.00. The counter gal never talked to me again. Forget the thank you, kiss my butt, or whatever. I laid the $7.00 on the counter, she had the receipt filled out several different times, handed me the sticker and my copy of the receipt. Get out to the truck, wife says well? Handed her the receipt, she asked ‘how much did you pay”? $7.00. She then shows me the copy, had been whited out and showed I paid $28.00. There was no way, whatever you were getting that the total could come out to $28.00 bucks. Good, book work all screwed up! Put the sticker on the canoe knowing that some time that summer we would be putting in Idaho waters. On north on I-15. Woop, got another Idaho checkpoint at the Dubois exit. Get off the slab, end up behind a county or town building where the check point is located dragging the fiver and the whole enchilada. The guy comes out of the building , the usual, where in last, where are you putting in, zip code. I had already handed him the canoe’s clean bill of health from the state line. I pointed to the Idaho sticker. “Oh, OK go ahead, wind out around the building and parking lot going back to the slab. Going north, starting across Monida Pass towards the Montana state line. Now there is a heavy wet snow coming down, not laying but ugly no matter. Down from the pass, Montana has built a new fantastic rest area. Oh, now we have a Montana boat check point here. Pull into the designated area, two college kids come out of their hooch. Where has it been in last, where are you putting in, zip code, as it is now sleeting. Too cold for us to put in and have no idea where it will be. One kid reaches up to rack and then tells me that he put a security strap (tywrap) on the canoe that would show if we took it off as it had to be broken. Also, Montana has no sticker as of then. On over to Missoula for a week. Well the deal of Idaho trying to over charge me had been festering for a while and that usually gets my hackles up!. On a Friday I shot off an email to Idaho Dept of Parks and Recreation in Boise at the head shed with the heading of “More education may be necessary” and describing the situations. Figured that would be the end. Lo and behold, Monday AM. I had an email back from a gal at Boise. She seemed to be sincere and said she would investigate. Wednesday AM, another email from her that she had sent out a memo to all vendors including her own group to read and heed so to speak. And also thanking me for bringing it to light. The following week I got another email from her telling us to please enjoy the summer and our travels in Idaho that summer and if I had any other situations to please email her. Ok remember the security strap at Monida Pass coming into Montana? Out of Missoula we go, north on US 93, ah another Montana check point near Ronan in a rest area. In we go, a commercial kayak operation with 8 kayaks on a trailer ahead of us getting checked out. He goes on we move forward. Two more college kids ask the usual, last body of water the canoe was on, where are you putting in, zip code, etc? I let them finish and then point out the security strap that had been put on by their own people at Monida Pass. Where did you get that? Haven’t seen that before! While in Missoula, I did check out the strap. Well the strap just went around the rack, never thru or anything on the canoe. Then we end up on the Kootenai River near Libby, MT. One day we ride over US 2 to just east of Troy where RT 56 takes off to RT 200 and the Clark Fork River. Check point at the rest area at the junction of US 2 and RT 56. Pull in and the gal looks at the canoe and says “good to go” but are you spending time in Montana this summer? “We sure are”. She then hands us a stamp book, that she stamped with the Troy location on it, and said if you go thru any check points, just hold this book out and the attendant will stamp it and you can just go ahead. South on RT 56 to RT 200, about 45 minutes and at the intersection is another checkpoint. Pull in, hold out the book, he looks at and says, “you were just at Troy about 45 minutes ago”. Yes we were. He then stamps book. We go east on RT200 for about 30 miles to checkout a campground and put in site. Turn around and of course we are back at the RT 56 and RT 200 checkpoint. In we go, workers have changed shift. I hold out the book, guy says “you were just in here about an hour ago” He stamps it. I tell him we are going to the Idaho-Montana state line towards Hope, ID. to check out another campground, about 10 miles. “Do you want me to stop on the way back thru”? “Please don’t”! Back up RT 56 to US 2 and the Troy rest area. Pull in, shift change again, hold the book out, they look at it and said “ you were just down the road and you were thru here a couple of hours ago”. I said Yep, and they stamp the book. Also, especially on Friday afternoons this checkpoint gets very busy. But at 6 PM it shuts down and if you happen to be in line you just go on thru!

We then travel over to Island Park, ID. Travel back and forth between there and Yellowstone quite frequently. Idaho has a check point set up on the southbound side of US 20 just after cresting top of Targhee Pass (Montana-Idaho state line) and checking in bound boats and you must cross over the east bound lane of US 20 to get in the rest area. One grouchy older lady and a young college gal usually working at the check point. Grouch would never believe us that the canoe wasn’t in Hebgen Lake (MT), the college gal would just tell us to go ahead. Later during our six week stay two recent retiree guys worked the stop most of the time. They give us an Idaho stamp book that they would simply stamp. They also told us, that when coming across the pass into Idaho and if there was an 18 wheeler behind us, please DO NOT STOP to cross traffic as they already had too many near misses and squealing tires. One afternoon we get stamped at that check point and going down the pass we decided to turn onto RT 87 to go on the north side of Henry’s Lake. Less than 10 miles was another check point complete with power washer and wash mats as you turned onto the Northshore. Two guys sitting there in a Lincoln Navigator with the windows up. I pull in, and after a minute or so, the passenger side window finally goes down and the guy says “go ahead”. Then we go to the county boat ramp on around the lake. Pull in, wind blowing, and another check point. I told the attendant that we sure weren’t putting in as it was too windy. He agreed and said never mind the stamp book.

Another summer we are back up on the Kootenai camping beside a father and son with a drift boat. They drifted the Kootenai and fly fished every day. We started talking one morning and he asked if I had any trials or tribulations with the check points. Told him our stories from the previous several summers. He proceeded to tell me theirs. The SUV they had was tagged in California where they lived. The drift boat and trailer were tagged in Lincoln County (56) MT. it was stored from day one when they bought it at a friend’s house in Libby. The check point attendants at the Troy location, as sometimes they went other locations, told them that since the drift boat was in ocean waters, they had to pressure wash it! They never checked the tube or whatever it is called where the anchor rope goes from the seat to the rear of the boat. They also never checked the steel tubing on the boat trailer where the critters can ride. And they also put a security tie on the trailer that never went thru anything on the boat. These guys were big into the Wild Trout organization and there annual meeting was in, I think Oregon that September. Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon were to have reps there and on the agenda was to get those states on the same page instead of the cluster that it now is.

Now to summer of 2014. We come back into Montana from Alaska. Coming across US 2 thru Glacier National Park, Montana has a check point just west of the park. We had been in it previous years, you turn onto a gravel road, the check point is set up just after you turn in, then after the check you must go down a hill around a state gravel pile and back up the hill and out onto US 2, a heavy travelled road. We had done this with just the truck and I made my mine up that if we came thru with the fiver I was going to blow off the stop. Well it happened coming from Alaska. Here we come and the boats are backed up on the shoulder of US 2 to get into the check point. Just cruised on past! We later went to Glacier, got inspected in the park and were good to go. On our way back to Kalispell we turned into the check point and I told the attendant that I blew off the stop days before and was told it was no problem as the powers to be knew it was a safety concern.

Now onto summer 2015. The Idaho stop on US 20 on Targhee Pass was checking boats coming into Idaho and leaving the state going into Montana. The stop is a huge safety concern just because of the location. Also, the rules changed for Yellowstone NP and Grand Teton NP in 2015. Prior summers, you would get the YNP sticker at several locations in the park. Then showing your receipt in GTNP they would issue a sticker for GTNP at no cost. And getting your initial sticker in YNP and then going to GTNP was cheaper than starting in GTNP. Now in 2015 you must get a sticker for YNP and inspected. If going to go in GTNP waters, a GTNP sticker must be purchased along with a Wyoming state invasive species sticker since the park is located in Wyoming. But the Wyoming sticker is not required in YNP even though Yellowstone Lake is located in Wyoming. Go figure.

Another summer in Idaho we were at Mckay Dam and the weather got super nice. So we go down to village of Mckay to a c/store, bait etc. They didn’t know a thing about the invasive species sticker but they could register our canoe. Nope, as non-motorized craft doesn’t get registered in Texas. Got back to the camp ground and asked the host where I could get a sticker. She didn’t know anything about it but would ask the fish cop when he came in for info. Later that day a guy from Vegas came in across from us with a kayak on his toad. I asked him and he told me that if I had a clean bill of health from coming in state that I was good to go. Later a guy comes into the tent area from Boise with a canoe on top. I asked him about the situation. “Well buddy here is my deal. I have a canoe, drift boat, drift tube, and aluminum boat. I carry ONE sticker in my wallet and if stopped I’ll pull it out as it is not getting fastened to any craft”. So the next day we ride up to Challis. Stopped for fuel at a c/store and bait joint. They didn’t know anything about a sticker. Sent us to the courthouse. The gal at the courthouse said “no we don’t have them but I think you can get it at the state park at the edge of town”. Sure enough, the gal pulls out the bungeed binder, takes our $7.00. Then when we get back to the c/g the host comes down, the fish cop was in and said if we had the paper for a clean boat we were good to go. Then we are in Twin Falls, ID. over Labor Day on our way back south. The Twin County Fair was going on, so we go in. As luck would have it, the first building we went into was a huge, fancy set-up of Idaho Dept. of Parks and Recreation. Two young gals with their best PR looks approached me and said, “it looks like you have a question”. Yes I do! Told them about the situation in Mckay. Their come back was “that the further from state lines you are, the less they know about the sticker, or don’t want to know about it”. Also that Parks and Recreation is the “Daddy” of the sticker, sells it. But Fish and Game or whatever it is called enforces it. So really nobody does know who is on first!

Another thing that intrigues me. The folks that use what I call “Fish Cats”. The pontoon thing that you sit in to mainly fly fish and float. They can carry them in the open or break them down to carry them. Shoot, there is open tubing, folds in the pontoons etc. where the critters can ride and survive but nobody cares about them. Nothing against the folks that use them but I don’t see the difference just because they are under 10 feet.

[2gypsies]

We've never had a problem with paying for fishing licenses. It's a part of our traveling expenses. We typically picked one state a summer to concentrate in for our catch & release trout fishing and purchase the license, accordingly. We do other things, too, so don't need to fish constantly.

[chindog]

This topic has become very interesting to me. I haven't fished or boated for many years. But, a couple of days ago, we bought a couple of 10' kayaks to paddle around the waterways where we travel. We'll be transporting them on top of the toad, rather than a trailer. I've never heard of Invasive Species stickers prior to reading about them here. Over the next few months, we'll be traveling from our home in Georgia to Florida for a few weeks, then across the lower US to Arizona where we'll spend the winter.

 

It looks like the stickers are required in the more northern states. I couldn't find any summary of state by state requirements for watercraft that require a sticker. From my brief search, it doesn't look like we would need one for Florida or Arizona, based on the size of our boats. Not sure about any states in between.

 

Are there any resources online on finding out whether we need to purchase permit stickers, other than looking at each state's DNR websites?

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

BobSally = Sheesh, you certainly showed determination getting those decals and going through all those inspections and I'm not sure how you kept track of what, where, when, cheaper price going in one direction YNP to GTNP, etc. Long interesting story -you guys must have the patience of saints and appreciate your sharing. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "it's getting harder to want to comply", and I can't agree more about understanding what they are trying to achieve, but why do they always have to overcomplicate things? Also THANK YOU, for confirming that websites state one thing but at level of purchase you can and often do get told/sold/refused with something contrary. As a secondary thought, I seem to recall reading on one of the states websites that the fine was $57 for not displaying the decal or being inspected. Not sure which state that was, but I can see a lot of non-resident folks with non-obvious inflatables saying to heck with it at $28 per state, if there's little inspection presence at waters edges and they are travellers, they'll take the gamble of not bothering at all and just plead ignorance of the rules. Of course $7 isn't unreasonable to contribute to the costs to protect provided they don't make the whole process so ridiculously hard to comply or delay travels exponentially at every state line one crosses. As you say we often don't know when or which body of waters we might want to launch in till we often get there.

 

As time proceeds BobSallyH and you learn more with it being a subject very close to your hearts, I do look forward to reading anything you learn and share on boating when crossing state lines etc. Likewise looking forward to reading others experiences here

 

2Gypsies - we've never had a problem, and most certainly don't begrudge paying a "reasonable" price for a fishing license to support maintenance and sustaining for future generations, but alas unlike yourselves with such varied other interests, my husband just loves to fish and I love rowing,rafting,diving, snorkelling, swimming = hence why the FT RVing lifestyle appealed to us. Whilst some might be happy to spend three to six months in one state/province, we enjoy spending a few weeks here and there. To each their own pleasures wouldn't you agree? Also if we personally were to spend a whole summer in one state fishing, we'd be freezing our tushes off in Canada all winter being restricted on number of days we are allowed south of the border. As well we'd never get to experience half of what we want to during our retirement years. So unfortunately what may work for one person's situation/needs/desires doesn't always work for everyone.

 

Unfortunately as with many things in life generally, we don't personally understand why there has to be one price/discount for one labelled person over someone else = it's no wonder we hear so much talk/read about how we've now become a divided "them and us" society/nation in so very many different ways. Going back to fishing, another option would be to offer deeper discounted and more options on No of days or weeks coverage so folks visiting an area for more than a week/10 days travelling don't have to fork out for the states/provinces with crazy high annual license rates for only three or four weeks pleasure of stopping and starting fishing as and when one wants. Not every day, but often you don't know until you hit a spot on your travels, sometimes in the middle of no where to buy a daily or 3 day license in advance - and no one wants to back track umpteen miles to the nearest seller or in our case fish without a license. Hence if you are spending three or four weeks in a particular state/province often your only option is to buy the annual license offered. Every state and province is slightly different but when you only have a choice of a 1 or 3 day license and to purchase 3 x 3 day licenses which you might or might not use, depending on findings would cost more, then you opt for the annual.

 

Chindog we were the same as you, didn't know anything about it until someone referenced it a couple of weeks ago, and been trying to find out more to make it easier.