Live Rock Aquaculture Commercial Fishing Permit (Open Access)
About
Online Renewal: No
Moratorium: No
Logbook Requirements: No
Transferrable: No
Expiration Date: December 16th of the year the permits are issued.
Additional Information: Under the current agreement between NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the total acreage of all aquacultured live rock sites maintained by a single permit holder in Federal waters off the coast of Florida may not exceed 1.0 acres. Applicants desiring to maintain sites that exceed this 1.0 acre limit must contact their local USACE office location and inquire about the individual permitting process for the deposit of aquacultured live rock in federal waters off the coast of Florida.
What You Will Need
To obtain this permit, you must complete and submit an application for Live Rock Aquaculture, provide a valid state registration or Coast Guard documentation, provide any other required documentation and pay application fees.
Download the Federal Permit RENEWAL Application for the Harvest of Aquacultured Live Rock
Download the Federal Permit Application for a NEW permit for the Harvest of Aquacultured Live Rock
How to Apply
Permit Renewal Via Paper Application
To renew your permit(s) via paper application, click on the application download link in the upper left corner of this page or download the Federal Permit RENEWAL Application for the Harvest of Aquacultured Live Rock.
Please complete the Live Rock Aquaculture application and mail to the address below. Please include a copy of your valid state registration or Coast Guard documentation and any other supporting documentation. A non-refundable application processing fee is required. Fees should be paid via checks or money orders, payable to U.S. Department of Treasury. Application fees are subject to change.
Requesting New Permits
To apply for a new permit, you must submit a paper application. The application download link is in the upper left corner of this page or download the Federal Permit Application for a NEW permit for the Harvest of Aquacultured Live Rock.
Complete the Live Rock Aquaculture application and mail to the address below. Please include a copy of your valid state registration or Coast Guard documentation. A non-refundable application processing fee is required. Fees should be paid via checks or money orders, payable to U.S. Department of Treasury. Application fees are subject to change.
Transferring Permits
If you are not the current permit holder for a particular site, you must complete a new application and include a notarized statement signed by you and the current owner of the site.
Download the Federal Permit Application for a NEW permit for the Harvest of Aquacultured Live Rock
The notarized statement must provide details on the transfer and include the site number (e.g., AQU-XXX), latitude/longitude of the site, the full names and addresses and phone numbers of both the transferor and transferee. Note that all deposit and harvest reports for the site must be received by the NOAA Fisheries Permits Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, respectively, before the transfer can be finalized.
Mailing Paper Applications
Paper applications should be mailed to:
NOAA Permits Office/FSER1
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
What Happens After You Submit
When applications are received into the Southeast Region Permit Office, they are assigned a unique application number and categorized by receive date. Upon application review, permits are issued if the application, vessel and permit meet all requirements. In the event requirements are not met, a cover letter will be mailed outlining all deficiencies. When deficiencies are resolved, permits can be issued.
After submittal, you may check your application status. Please have your vessel number or application number readily available.
Once Your Permit is Issued
Please retain the original permits on the vessel or in a location that is easy to access. The Office of Law Enforcement and U.S. Coast Guard do inspect vessels for valid permits.
More Information
For more information about the permits, go to the general Southeast Permits Information page or the frequently asked questions about Southeast fishing permits page. You may also contact us at (877) 376-4877 for additional questions.