Costa Rica Fishing Licenses
Are you thinking to come to down and try fishing on a boat, river or surf fishing from the beach? Are you concerned about the Costa Rican fishing license regulations?
You should know that you will need a fishing license if you want to fish from a boat. A fishing license for a fishing charter does not matter how long it is, just a few hours or the time it takes.
Do I need a Costa Rican beach or river fishing license? No, a fishing license is not required if you want to fish in flood or from the beach anywhere in Costa Rica. However, you will need it for fishing from a vessel in the ocean or lake.
Surf fishing in Costa Rica is famous for locals and foreigners; there are no restrictions to practice this kind of fishing. Bring your tackle or buy a cheap one at a local store and enjoy casting for jacks, mackerel, or the appreciated roosterfish, which is one of the most popular species.
You can buy a fishing license for a week for $15, a month for $30 or a year for $50. The document cannot be passed to another person since the license has the owner name printed on the license, and it is valid only if he presents his identification
Everyone in a fishing boat will need a fishing license; it does not matter whether he/she fishes or not. Sometimes the Coast Guard stops a boat and on board this to verify vessel and passengers' documents including passports and fishing licenses.
Where can I purchase a fishing license? You can buy a fishing license in the offices of INCOPESCA (Costa Rica Institute of Fisheries and Agriculture), the best way is to buy it online HERE. However, be aware, this site is down many days in a month where you can get an unexpected error message after paying for license(s). If this occurs, contact Betty Valverde Cordero at her email address (bvalverde@incopesca.go.cr); try to explain your issue and ask to resend the ticket you paid for.
Many people request information about the forms they have to fill out the form when they want to buy a fishing license online; well, below there are two pics; the first one corresponds to the step number one, fill in the form with your information
The second image is from the second screen you will find. Take a look, the only spaces required are those for your information; however, you can enter the "Ubication" if you know the region in Costa Rica where you will go fishing; it is not necessary anyway.
Rarely, Costa Guard stops the boats and check the papers; if that happens, you must to have the license and passport in hand, or they might cancel the charter. The captain should drop you off ahead of schedule.