§9-12-95. Commercial party boat license; fee; requirements; expiration; penalty.

(a) Any person, firm, or corporation who engages in the business of carrying one or more persons fishing in salt and brackish waters of the State of Alabama for a fee shall purchase a commercial party boat license. The fee for a commercial party boat license shall be $200.00 for boats certified for up to six passengers, $300.00 for boats certified for seven to twenty-five passengers, and $500 for boats certified for more than twenty-five passengers. Upon making application for the license, the applicant shall provide evidence of a United States Coast Guard license for operating a passenger boat. Any law or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, passengers on the commercial party boats may fish in the territorial waters of Alabama, and land fish in this state caught within or beyond the territorial waters without purchasing a fishing license. Persons to whom the commercial party boat license is issued shall also be issued identification decals in the form and number as determined by the Division of Marine Resources of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The licensees shall place and maintain the decals in the locations on the commercial party boats as specified by the Division of Marine Resources.

(b) Any person who is entitled to purchase a commercial party boat license may procure the license by applying to any judge of probate, license Commissioner, or any other authorized officer, stating his or her name, age, and post office box address, and paying to the issuing officer the required fee for the license.

(c) Any license issued pursuant to this section shall not be transferable, and it shall be unlawful to borrow, lend, or alter any license. No license-issuing officer may back date any license. All licenses shall expire on September 30 of each year.

(d) Any violation of this section shall be a Class C misdemeanor punishable as provided by law and with an additional mandatory fine of twice the amount of the required license.

(e) The net revenues derived from the sale of licenses pursuant to this section, shall be remitted to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on the first day of each month by the issuing officer and shall be deposited into the State Treasury to the credit of the Marine Resource Fund. Those revenues shall be used solely for the development, protection, and propagation of saltwater sport fisheries in this state.

(Acts 1992, No. 92-245, p. 593, §§1 to 5.)