Overview

All sport fish guiding businesses and individual sport fishing guides operating in Alaska waters must obtain a current annual license or registration. Specific license and registration requirements differ depending on whether you are operating in freshwater or saltwater.

• Freshwater operations require a Sport Fishing Business Owner Registration and/or a Sport Fishing Guide Registration (you can only operate in freshwater).
• Saltwater operations require Sport Fishing Business Owner License and/or a Sport Fishing Guide License (also allows you to operate in freshwater).

Both sport fish guiding businesses and individual sport fishing guides must register separately, however, if the owner of the business is also a guide or the only guide, they do not need to register twice.

See information in Business and Guide Registration/Licensing tab for specific requirements.

Assistants, deckhands, and similar persons who work directly under the supervision of and on the same vessel as a State of Alaska registered/licensed fishing guide are exempt from the guide registration/licensing requirements.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game provides information about the requirements of other agencies as a courtesy. Every attempt has been made to make this as complete as possible. However, because changes in other agency information are beyond our control, we cannot accept responsibility for ensuring that this list of other agency requirements is complete. You are responsible for meeting all necessary requirements for the area in which you will be operating.

You may access the most recent results of the programs at the link below:

• Participation, Effort, and Harvest in the Sport Fish Business/Guide Licensing and Logbook Programs
  (PDF 3,294 kB)