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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1304*
HOUSE BILL 1304
M2 6lr3243
By: Delegate R. Long
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Natural Resources – Fishing Without a License – Enforcement 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Natural Resources to suspend for certain 3
periods of time the commercial or recreational fishing privileges of certai n persons 4
charged with fishing without a license under certain circumstances; authorizing a 5
person whose fishing privileges are suspended under this Act to apply for a new 6
fishing license during the term of suspension; requiring the Department to provide 7
certain verbal or written notice to certain persons charged with commercially or 8
recreationally fishing without a license; applying certain provisions of this Act 9
retroactively; and generally relating to enforcement of violations for fishing without 10
a license. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Natural Resources 13
Section 4–604(b), 4–701(a) and (b)(1), and 4–745(a)(1) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16
BY adding to 17
Article – Natural Resources 18
Section 4–1201(i) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23
Article – Natural Resources 24
4–604. 25
2 HOUSE BILL 1304
(b) Any person 16 years old or older shall secure an angler’s license to fish in the 1
nontidal waters of the State. An angler’s license entitles the holder to fish in the nontidal 2
waters of the State only during the open season. 3
4–701. 4
(a) Except as pr ovided in §§ 4 –701.1 and 4 –701.2 of this subtitle, this section 5
applies to any person who is required under this subtitle or Subtitle 2, 8, 9, or 10 of this 6
title to be licensed to guide fishing parties or to catch, sell, buy, process, transport, export, 7
or otherwise deal in fish caught in tidal waters. 8
(b) (1) Except as provided in §§ 4 –701.1 and 4 –701.2 of this subtitle, the 9
Department shall utilize a single, commercial license, to be known and designated as a tidal 10
fish license. 11
4–745. 12
(a) (1) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) of this section and § 4–217 13
of this title, a person may not fish for finfish in the Chesapeake Bay or in its tributaries up 14
to tidal boundaries or in State waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic coastal bays 15
and their tributaries without first obtaining a Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing 16
license or registration issued under subsection (d)(3) of this section and possessing the 17
license or registration. 18
4–1201. 19
(I) (1) IN ADDITION TO ANY OT HER PEN ALTY PROVIDED UNDER THIS 20
TITLE, IF A PERSON CHARGED WITH COMMERCIALLY OR RECREATIONALLY FISHING 21
WITHOUT A LICENSE HE LD THE APPROPRIATE C OMMERCIAL OR RECREAT IONAL 22
FISHING LICENSE IN T HE PREVIOUS LICENSE YEAR AND FAILED TO R ENEW THE 23
COMMERCIAL OR RECREA TIONAL FISHING LICENSE , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 24
SUSPEND THE PERSON’S COMMERCIAL OR RECREATIONAL FISHING PRIVILEGES, AS 25
APPROPRIATE: 26
(I) FOR A FIRST OFFENSE, FOR 1 MONTH; 27
(II) FOR A SECOND OFFENSE, FOR 6 MONTHS; AND 28
(III) FOR A THIRD OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE, FOR 1 YEAR. 29
(2) (I) A PERSON WHOSE COMMERC IAL OR RECREATIONAL 30
FISHING PRIVILEGES ARE SUSPENDED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION MAY APPLY FOR A 31
NEW LICENSE DURING THE TERM OF SUSPENSION. 32
HOUSE BILL 1304 3
(II) IF THE DEPARTMENT ISSUES A N EW LICENSE TO THE 1
PERSON, THAT LICENSE SHALL BE SUB JECT TO ANY REMAINING TIME ON THE 2
SUSPENSION OF THE PERSON’S FISHING PRIVILEGES UNDER THIS SUBSECTION. 3
(3) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE AN ORAL OR WRITTEN NOTICE 4
OF THE NATURE OF THE VIOLATION AND OF THE PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE 5
VIOLATION TO A PERSON WHO IS CHARGED WITH FISHING WITHOUT A COMMERCIAL 6
OR RECREATIONAL FISH ING LICENSE AND FAILED TO RENEW THE APPROPRIATE 7
COMMERCIAL OR RECREA TIONAL FISHING LICEN SE IN THE PREVIOUS L ICENSE 8
YEAR. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, Th at § 4–1201(i)(1) and (2) of the 10
Natural Resources Article, as enacted by this Act, shall be construed to apply retroactively 11
and shall be applied to and interpreted to affect any person charged with commercially or 12
recreationally fishing without a license on or after September 1, 2025. 13
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 14
1, 2026. 15