Delaware

Wondering how to get your Delaware fishing license online? Plus, exemptions, surf-fishing

Published

2 years ago

April 24, 2024

Wondering how to get your Delaware fishing license online? Plus, exemptions, surf-fishing

As a coastal state filled with ponds, streams and other bodies of water, Delaware is brimming with fishing opportunities.

But before you grab your fishing vest and tackle box and head out the door, remember that you can’t just show up and set up shop without a state fishing license.

Here’s a guide to Delaware fishing licenses, including how and where to obtain one, restrictions, exemptions and more.

Delaware fishing licenses

In Delaware, a state recreational fishing license covers crabbing, clamming and recreational fishing in all First State waters, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife also administers permits, stamps and passes for recreational fishing and hunting, and for state wildlife areas.

Fishing licenses need to be purchased annually by recreational anglers. All proceeds from the issuance of fishing licenses contribute to a “special account for the purpose of matching and securing federal money allotted to Delaware under the provisions of the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act,” according to DNREC.

The funds support statewide conservation, management, restoration and enhancement of sportfish and the provisions for public use, which benefit from these resources.

Some of the fishing licenses, permits and stamps in Delaware include:

A Delaware Trout Stamp, which is needed for anglers fishing for trout. It costs $4.20 for residents ages 16 to 64, $2.10 for residents ages 12 to 15 and $6.20 for nonresidents ages 12 and older. Delaware residents ages 65 and older are exempt from needing a Delaware Trout Stamp.
Surf-fishing permits, which are needed to surf-fish on both peak and off-peak days in Delaware. Residents and nonresidents are exempt from fishing license requirements if they operate a vehicle with a valid Delaware surf-fishing vehicle permit and the vehicle is located on a designated Delaware State Park surf-fishing area. Surf-fishing annual passes are also available.
Head boat and charter boat licenses, which are required for vessesls hired on a per-person or per-trip basis, respectively. Both the head boat and charter boat licenses cover paying passengers, the crew and the captain only while they are fishing aboard the vessel. These are issued directly from the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

DNREC’s Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources Police requires all boating and fishing events on the water to have a permit.

Applications can be submitted online. Application submission does not guarantee event approval, and events conducted on state park land and water may require an entrance or admission fee. Activities like concessions, fundraising or other public events are not allowed without a special permit.

Surf-fishing FAQ: Delaware surf-fishing permits go on sale Tuesday. Reservations still needed for peak days

Fisherman Information Network numbers

Along with a fishing license or resident boat fishing license, each angler will automatically have a Delaware Fisherman Information Network number issued to them at no cost.

All Delaware anglers aged 16 or older are required to have an annual FIN number before fishing around the state.

If you are exempt from fishing license requirements in Delaware, you may need to apply separately for a FIN number through Digital DNREC, an online permitting system,

How can I get my Delaware fishing license?

Delaware fishing licenses can be purchased online or in person.

Digital DNREC is where recreational licenses, permits, passes and stamps can be purchased online. Fairly new, this system allows recipients to create user accounts and profiles to manage their licenses and permits.

For purchasing in person, visit the licensing desk inside DNREC’s Richardson and Robbins Building at 89 Kings Highway in Dover or an authorized license agent.

Where can I get my Delaware fishing license?

If you want to obtain your recreational license, permit pass or stamp in person, here are places in Delaware that offer this service. Each location offers fishing, hunting and Conservation Access Passes unless otherwise noted.

New Castle County

Al’s Sporting Goods, 200 North Market St., Wilmington, (302) 655-1511.
Cabela’s, 1100 Christiana Road #1410, Newark, (302) 266-2300.
Captain Bones, 3195 South Dupont Highway, (302) 378-4200.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, 100 Center Drive, Newark, (302) 738-8322 or 1000. Brandywine Parkway, Wilmington, (302) 477-9577.
Master Baiter’s, 775 South Dupont Highway, Unit 2, New Castle, (302) 834-2248.
Walmart, 705 Middletown Warwick Road, Middletown, (302) 449-1254; 117 Walton Blvd., New Castle, (302) 324-0900; or 1251 Centerville Road, Wilmington, (302) 683-9312.

Kent County

Bowers Bayside Bait, 145 Hubbard Avenue, Frederica, (302) 682-0043. This location only sells fishing licenses.
Carlisle’s Marine, 49 Artisan Drive, Smyrna, (302) 389-0100.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, 1365 North Dupont Highway, Suite 6000, Dover, (302) 678-9160.
Smith’s Bait and Tackle, 500 Denny St., Leipsic, (302) 744-9140.
Oaks Outdoors, 3544 Williamsville Road, Houston, (302) 424-2277.
Smyrna Community Hardware, 456 W. Glenwood Avenue, Smyrna, (302) 653-1144.
Smyrna Sporting Goods, 4 South Main St., Smyrna, (302) 653-7073.
Walmart, 263 Walmart Drive, Camden, (302) 698-9170; 36 Jerome Drive, Cheswold, (302) 674-2159; or 939 North Dupont Highway, Milford, (302) 422-2854.

Sussex County

Bethany Auto Parts & Marine, 13 Atlantic Avenue, Ocean View, (302) 539-0555. This location only sells fishing licenses.
Bob’s Marine Service, 3188 Roxana Road, Ocean View, (302) 539-3711. This location only sells fishing licenses.
G&E Hardware, 30244 Cedar Neck Road, Ocean View, (302) 539-1448.
H. C. Layton & Son, 406 Market Street, Bridgeville, (302) 337-8540.
Hook ‘em and Cook em’ Bait & Tackle, 39401 Inlet Road, Rehoboth, (302) 226-8220.
Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em Outfitters, Highway 1, York Beach Mall, South Bethany, (302) 539-6243.
Hopkin’s Gun Shop, 18647 Josephs Road, Milton, (302) 684-4878.
Lankford’s Gun Shop, 614 West Stein Highway, Unit 2, Seaford, (302) 536-7077.
Laurel Community Hardware, 1001 South Central Avenue, Laurel, (302) 280-6822.
Lewes Harbour Marina, 217 Anglers Road, Lewes, (302) 645-6627.
Lingo Marine, 121 Delaware Avenue, Millsboro, (302) 934-9877. This location only sells fishing licenses.
Old Inlet Bait & Tackle, 25012 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth, (302) 227-7974.
Rick’s Fishing Outdoor, 26019 Julias Lane, Long Neck, (302) 945-9245. This location only sells fishing licenses.
Rudy Marine Inc., 32606, Dupont Blvd., Dagsboro, (302) 999-8735.
Sam’s Fishing Tackle, 14260 Teattown Road, Greenwod, (302) 424-0197.
Short’s Marine, 32415 Long Neck Road, Millsboro, (302) 945-1200.
Tiderunners 3, 105 Anglers Road, Lewes, (302) 827-2533. This location only sells fishing licenses.
Vines Creek Marina & Tackle, 32213 Blue Crab Road, Dagsboro, (302) 732-6043.
Walker’s Marine, 26912 Walker Road, Seaford, (302) 629-8666.
Walmart, 4 College Park Lane, Georgetown, (302) 854-9454; 18922 Rehoboth Mall Blvd., Rehoboth, (302) 644-8014; or 22899 Sussex Highway, Seaford, (302) 628-1668.

Fishing license exemptions and exceptions

Delaware’s fishing and hunting regulations and state law provide several exemptions and exceptions to fishing and hunting licensing requirements, including:

While surf-fishing permits are not required for residents and nonresidents who are the operator of a vehicle with a valid Delaware sur fishing vehicle permit, other occupants in tow must have a resident or nonresident fishing license if they are fishing.
Seniors who are Delaware residents aged 65 years or older do not need to meet fishing license requirements. They must have proof of age and residency.
Children under 16 years old do not need to meet fishing license requirements or the FIN requirement.
Residents who own or live on a farm in Delaware containing 20 or more acres, and members of their immediate family living on the farm, may fish on that farm without a fishing license. The same applies for nonresidents who occupy farms in Delaware containing 20 acres and are engaged in the science of husbandry. Nonresidents who own but are not occupants of a farm in Delaware containing 20 or more acres, and where the science of husbandry is practiced, may fish on the land if the owner gives them written permission, or if fishing is permitted in the written lease. The same applies to their immediate family.
Anyone aged 16 and up who does not have an individual recreational fishing license and is fishing on a boat where the owner purchased a recreational boat fishing license, does not have to purchase a fishing license while fishing on board.

Other exemptions apply for the following criteria and can be obtained by calling the Division of Fish and Wildlife at (302) 739-9918:

Any Delaware resident who is legally blind.
Any Delaware resident who fishes in a fee-fishing facility, registered as such with the Department of Agriculture.
Any Delaware resident that is a patient in a rehabilitation hospital under the Department of Health and Social Services.

For more information, contact Trish Virdin, the licensing coordinator, at (302) 739-9918 or visit DNREC’s FAQ page about fishing licensing.https://dnrec.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/licenses/fishing-license-questions/

Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.

Source link

Click to comment

Delaware

New Castle County Council finally votes on data center regulations

Published

5 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

New Castle County Council finally votes on data center regulations

New Castle County approved data center rules that will not apply to Project Washington.
It came after hours of public comment and council compromise.
The ordinance restricts water usage and creates buffers between data centers and residential areas.

New Castle County Council approved regulations on the development of data centers Tuesday night.

They won’t apply to the massive proposed data center complex of Project Washington, which continues to fight through state-level objections.

The County Council meeting was standing room only. The crowd of both construction workers supporting the legislation and community members opposing it spread into the lobby of the Louis Redding City/County Building.

The ordinance requires data centers to have a closed-loop water cooling system to limit its water use and creates a 1,000-foot buffer between data centers and residential areas, with an exception for 500-foot buffers if a development can follow noise regulations. It also defaults to existing county limits on noise and lighting levels.

A unanimously approved amendment from Pike Creek representative Timothy Sheldon clarified that these new regulations count for applications submitted after this gets adopted and approved by County Executive Marcus Henry, unless an existing applicant requests to follow these new regulations.

It passed with 12 ‘yes’ votes, with Councilmember Jea P. Street absent from the vote itself.

This was the only amendment left standing. An amendment from Janet Kilpatrick, representing Hockessin, would have grandfathered existing data centers from the ordinance, clarifying that any pending proposal in the county wouldn’t be affected. Another amendment, from Claymont representative John Cartier, would’ve made the ordinance retroactive to count for Project Washington and others. Both were withdrawn at the meeting in a council compromise.

Project Washington’s plans north of Delaware City kicked local data center dialogue into high gear in 2025. The data center project would include 11 two-story data center buildings surrounded by electrical fields on two large land parcels accessible by Hamburg Road, Governor Lea Road and River Road.

It would be 6 million square feet of data center running 24 hours a day, seven days week.

The project’s developer, Starwood Digital Ventures, pledges job creation and and a colossal injection of tax revenue into the coffers of the county and Colonial School District. They said this will bring about 3,500 construction jobs and retain 700 permanent jobs to keep the facility up and running.

County Council member Dave Carter has spent months drafting the regulations that were voted on during this meeting. This is substitute number three on the original bill from August 2025, including compromises on noise and lighting restrictions. Carter wants sensible data center regulation in the county, and he told Delaware Online/The News Journal in March he thinks Project Washington is a “bad deal” for the state.

He thinks the potential demand on the state’s already strained electrical bid will hurt residents’ bills. He also disputes the developers’ promises on permanent jobs and tax revenue.

“We just have to really be cognizant and thoughtful and make sure that we are ensuring that we protect our communities, and that we manage these things well if they are coming,” Carter said at the meeting.

It hasn’t been an easy sell to the rest of County Council. Council member Janet Kilpatrick, who represents Hockessin, wanted consistent regulations on lighting and noise levels to avoid scaring off potential business. Data centers have sprung up across the country as the highly demanding AI industry exploded in popularity.

“If we don’t have some stability, these people are not going to be able to go through a lender to get money, and so that means that they leave, and I’m sure that there’s a group of people in this room that would love to see them leave, but that’s not how we build economic development,” she said at the meeting. “Part of what we need, in my mind, in economic development is that we have a stable land use code.”

Although this doesn’t apply to the controversial Project Washington, County Council will still have a say on the re-zoning of half of the project’s land. The County Board of Adjustment will also have to approve its electrical switch station, Culver said.

At the meeting, residents showed up with mainly negative comments for Project Washington. But, members of trade unions showed up in support of the project’s potential to create construction jobs.

Starwood Digital Ventures will continue to move through the approval process with no changes to Project Washington, according to Jim Lamb, who is handling media for the project.

“We’re really happy there’s a consensus within the council and it’s a really great opportunity for the residents of New Castle County,” Lamb said Tuesday night.

Now this goes to County Executive Marcus Henry’s office, who can sign or veto these regulations.

Half of Project Washington’s proposed land still needs a re-zone, which requires council approval. The project was stifled by DNREC, who ruled the proposal’s size, use and backup diesel generators violate the decades-old Coastal Zone Act.

Starwood Digital Ventures disagrees, and filed and appeal, saying the state environmental agency didn’t classify the project correctly and said it “solely focuses on alleged environmental risk and worst-case emissions, and does not fairly weigh or explain these countervailing factors in light of regulating criteria.”

The appeal’s hearing is in Dover and begins on March 24.

Shane Brennan covers Wilmington and other Delaware issues. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com.

Source link

Delaware

Coast Guard Responding to Large Barge Fire in Delaware Bay

Published

17 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Coast Guard Responding to Large Barge Fire in Delaware Bay

The U.S. Coast Guard and multiple partner agencies are responding to a barge fire in Delaware Bay on Tuesday after a tug reported that the vessel it was towing had caught fire.

According to the Coast Guard, watchstanders at Sector Delaware Bay received a call at approximately 8:20 a.m. from the tug Douglas J, reporting that the barge under tow was on fire. The barge was reportedly carrying scrap metal.

Authorities are towing the burning barge to a position about two miles off Maurice River Cove, New Jersey, in an effort to move the incident away from the main shipping channel while firefighting operations continue.

The Coast Guard has established a safety zone and issued a Broadcast Notice to Mariners as crews work to contain the fire and reduce potential hazards to vessel traffic in the busy port complex. Multiple fire departments have deployed fireboats to assist with suppression efforts.

No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Responders from Coast Guard Station Philadelphia, Coast Guard Station Cape May, and Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City have been deployed to assist. Partner agencies on scene include the Wilmington Fire Department, Delaware City Fire Department, Philadelphia Fire Department, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, and Delaware Emergency Management.

The incident follows another major barge fire in the Delaware Bay region in 2022, when a barge carrying scrap household appliances burned for approximately 26 hours in what officials described as the largest firefighting operation in Delaware state history.

Response operations for the current fire remain ongoing.

Editorial Standards · Corrections · About gCaptain

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

— trusted by our 107,414 members

Source link

Delaware

DMV in Minquadale, Delaware reopening months after trooper’s death

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

DMV in Minquadale, Delaware reopening months after trooper’s death

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 9:34AM

MINQUADALE, Del. (WPVI) — The DMV in Wilmington, Delaware is reopening at 8a.m. Tuesday.

This comes after the deadly shooting of State Trooper Matthew “Ty” Snook, 34, in December 2025.

A man walked into the facility and shot and killed Snook.

The DMV said service at the Wilmington location will be by appointment only for now. The Delaware City, Dover, and Georgetown DMV locations will continue to offer walk-in service to customers.

Source link