Specialized Licensing and Permits
Fishing for Scientific, Educational or Other Special Purposes
Special Use Fishing Permits may provide individuals and commercial fishing entities with entrance into certain areas otherwise prohibited, as well as legally take certain aquatic life or use certain gear for bona fide scientific, educational or propagation purposes.
Choose the type of Special Use Fishing Permit you need:
Specialized Licensing and
Permits for Individuals
Lay Net
Permit
Lay net fishers
Required for:
Any person to use or possess a lay net in State waters.
Prerequisite
–
Fees:
$25
Resources:
Marking Directions
Laynet FAQs
Fishing FAQs
Special Activity
Permit
Applies to:
Individuals
Required for:
Any individual associated with any research, educational, or management institution to collect regulated aquatic organisms or resources, use regulated gear, or collect/conduct activities in regulated areas, for research, educational or management purposes.
Prerequisite
Annual reports with summary of activity conducted (e.g. description of activity, data collected, results, photos, GPS coordinates, etc.).
Fees:
$0
Resources:
Special Provisions, Licenses, and Permits Information
FAQs available behind permitting system login
Papahānaumokuākea Permit
Applies to:
Persons desiring to enter Monument waters
Required for:
Entry and all activities taking place within 0-3 miles in state waters of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
Prerequisite
–
Fees:
$0
Resources:
Applications and Instructions
Specialized Licensing and Permits
for Commercial Fishing
Molokini Shoal MLCD Use Permit
Apply in Person at the Maui Nui DAR Office
Molokini Shoal MLCD commercial operators
Required for:
Any commercial operator who conducts dive tours, charters, and other activities within Molokini Shoal MLCD.
Hawaiʻi Resident and Military Fees:
$50
Non-Resident Fees:
$50
Resources:
Online Data Entry System
FAQs
Prohibited Areas for Surface-Supplied Air
Diving Pre-trip Briefing and Acknowledgement
Vessel Transfer or Change Form
Lay Net
Specifications
The Maximum Length for a Lay Net is 125ft. The Maximum height may not exceed 7 feet and the minimum mesh size needs to be at least 2 ¾ inched (stretched mesh).
Inshore and Reef Fish
Species
More than 400 species of inshore and reef fishes inhabit Hawaiʻi’s coastal waters.
Papahānaumokuākea Permits
There are 9 islands, atolls and reefs included in the permitting rule.
Fishing Resources
Regulations
Specialized Licensing
and Permits
FAQs
Download our Fishing
Regulations App
Fishing Around
Protected Species
