Barrington
Block Island
Bristol
Burrillville
Central Falls
Charlestown
Coventry
Cranston
Cumberland
East Greenwich
East Providence
Exeter
Foster
Glocester
Hopkinton
Jamestown
Johnston
Lincoln
Little Compton
Middletown
Narragansett
Newport
North Kingstown
North Providence
North Smithfield
Pawtucket
Portsmouth
Providence
Richmond
Scituate
Smithfield
South Kingstown
Tiverton
Warren
Warwick
Westerly
West Greenwich
West Warwick
Woonsocket
Block Island
Barrington/Warren
Bristol
Charlestown/
S. Kingstown
Jamestown
Newport
Newport Harbor
N.Kingstown/
E.Greenwich/Warwick
Portsmouth/Tiverton
Portsmouth/Tiverton/
Little Compton/
Middletown
Warwick/Cranston/
Providence/Pawtucket/
E.Providence
Westerly
Rhode Island
American Holly
The Blackstone
Coastal Birding
Fall Fishing
Narragansett Bay
NBNERR
Ninigret Pond
Osprey
Piping Plover
Providence Harbor
Providence Riverfront
Quahog
Salt Marsh
Surfing
Woodlands
Access Guide PDF
Access Guide Intro
Acknowledgements
CRMC Home
CRMC ROWs
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Fishing Laws
Index
Order Form
Rhode Island Sea Grant Home
Safety Tips
 
   

Saltwater Sportfishing Laws and Licensing

Information is available from the RIDEM website at: www.state.ri.us/dem/. A pamphlet on general recreational and commercial fishing laws is available from the RIDEM Division of Fish and Wildlife by calling (401) 423-1920. All marine licenses are issued by RIDEM's licensing section, 235 Promenade St., Providence, RI 02908, or call (401) 222-6647.

Shellfishing
During open season, no license is necessary for residents of Rhode Island. Any resident may take, in any one day during open season (if applicable), not more than a half-bushel each of quahogs, soft-shelled clams, surf clams, oysters, and mussels, and not more than one bushel of scallops, provided that none of these shellfish be offered for sale. The holder of a nonresident shellfishing license may take, on any one day, not more than one peck each of oysters, quahogs, soft-shelled clams, surf clams, or mussels. There is no taking of lobsters, blue crabs, or bay scallops by nonresidents. Licenses are required for lobsters and are only available to residents of Rhode Island. Additional restrictions apply in shellfish management areas.

Finfishing
No license is necessary for saltwater fishing in Rhode Island.

Minimum Size, Catch Limit, Closed Areas
There are strictly enforceable minimum size and catch limits for fish, shellfish, lobsters, and crabs. For further information on minimum sizes and catch limits call RIDEM Division of Fish and Wildlife at (401) 423-1920. For current information on pollution and seasonal closures, call RIDEM Division of Water Resources at (401) 222-3961.