Title 30, FISH

(a) Appointment and bond.--The commission may appoint such persons as it deems necessary to issue fishing licenses and permits, and the persons so appointed shall be required to post a bond or other security in a form satisfactory to the commission in an amount it determines. The…

(a) New York.--The provisions of this chapter do not apply to a person holding a fishing license issued under the laws of the State of New York when fishing in that portion of the waters of the Delaware River lying between New York and Pennsylvania within the jurisdiction of this…

1995 Amendment. Section 2713 was deleted by amendment July 6, 1995, P.L.310, No.47, effective immediately.

In order to help defray the issuing costs, the commission may collect an issuing fee not to exceed the fee charged by issuing agents under section 2715 (relating to license and issuing fees) on licenses and stamps issued by the commission. (Dec. 22, 1989, P.L.735, No.102, eff. Ja…

(a) License fees.--Except as provided under subsection (c), the following fees apply to fishing licenses issued under this chapter and shall be paid into the Fish Fund: (1) Resident Annual Fishing License, in such amount as prescribed under 58 Pa. Code § 63.57 (relating to licens…

(a) General rule.--The commission may make available, at its offices and through its issuing agents, vouchers for licenses and permits that may be purchased on behalf of a third party. The voucher shall be in the format prescribed by the commission and shall contain the following…

(a) Multi-year licenses and permits.--The commission may issue a license or permit that covers multiple years. A multi-year license or permit shall expire on December 31 of the last year for which it was issued. (b) Group licenses and permits.--The commission may issue a license …

2012 Amendment. Section 2901 was deleted by amendment November 1, 2012, P.L.1716, No.211, effective in 60 days.

The commission may issue permits to use or possess nets larger than four feet square or four feet in diameter, or any other seine, trawl or gill net in or along waters of this Commonwealth. The permits when issued shall specify when and where the nets shall be used and for what p…

(a) Application of section.--The provisions of this section shall apply only to those boundary lakes of this Commonwealth and their bays and peninsular waters as the commission may determine. (b) Issuance and fees.--Except as provided under subsection (b.1), the commission may is…

(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), the executive director, with the approval of the commission, may require permits for the taking, catching, killing, possession, introduction, removal, importing, transporting, exporting or disturbing of fish when i…

The executive director, with the approval of the commission, may grant permits to catch fish in any of the waters within or bordering on this Commonwealth at any season of the year and with any kind of nets or other devices without regard to size or possession limits to a person …

The executive director, with the approval of the commission, may grant permits for the use of explosives in waters for engineering purposes upon the payment of a fee of $50 or as otherwise established by the commission in accordance with section 322.1 (relating to power to set fe…

Except as otherwise provided in this title, all licenses and permits authorized by this chapter shall expire on December 31 of the year for which they are issued. (June 22, 2012, P.L.640, No.66, eff. 60 days) Cross References. Section 2907 is referred to in section 2905 of this t…

The commission shall issue permits for tagged fish contests on boundary lakes where the other state which bounds the lake permits such contests, unless the commission finds that the proposed contest threatens the fisheries resources of the Pennsylvania portion of the boundary lak…

(a) Permit required.--No person shall fish in Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay and their tributaries, including waters that flow into those tributaries, without first procuring an annual special permit to fish in Lake Erie and tributaries or a combination trout permit and Lake Erie pe…

(a) General rule.--It is unlawful for any person to operate a charter boat or fishing guide operation on the waters of this Commonwealth without first obtaining a charter boat/fishing guide permit from the commission and paying the fee specified in section 2715 (relating to licen…

(a) General rule.--Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a person engaging in any activity for which a permit or special license is required under this chapter without acquiring the license or permit commits a summary offense of the second degree. Except as otherwise prov…

Upon application accompanied by a license fee as prescribed in this chapter, the commission shall issue an annual regulated fishing lake license to an applicant whose application meets the eligibility criteria specified in commission regulations. The license shall be effective un…

(a) Class A lakes.--The annual license fee for a Class A regulated fishing lake (except temporary fishing ponds operated as regulated fishing lakes) shall be based on the total area of fishing water on the premises to be licensed, whether the area consists of one body of water or…

Fish may be taken from a regulated fishing lake without limitation on size, season or possession limit.

The owner or person in charge of any regulated fishing lake shall issue consecutively numbered receipts to all anglers who catch or transport fish from a regulated fishing lake during the closed season for the species of fish, or in excess of the possession limit, or under the mi…

Any person owning or operating a regulated fishing lake shall keep on file for inspection by the commission, or any person designated by it, all bills of sale that he receives for purchases of fish made for the purpose of stocking the lake.

(a) Class A.--The commission may issue Class A regulated fishing lake licenses upon payment of the fee specified in section 3102 (relating to fees) to lakes in the following categories: (1) Lakes wholly opened to the general public for fishing and operated solely as commercial ve…

Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to authorize any person to transport, import or introduce any species of fish, bait fish or fish bait into this Commonwealth if the transportation, importation or introduction is prohibited by other laws or regulations.

Any owner or operator of a regulated fishing lake who operates the lake without a regulated fishing lake license or who knowingly makes a false statement in his application for a license commits a summary offense of the first degree. Any owner or operator of a regulated fishing l…

No person shall fish, or trespass with intent to fish, in the waters or upon the bed or banks of any licensed regulated fishing lake without having paid the fee fixed by the owner or operator, or without having obtained permission from the owner or operator. No person shall willf…

(a) Erection on order of commission.--Any person now or hereafter erecting or maintaining a dam in the waters of this Commonwealth shall, immediately on a written order from the commission, erect therein such chutes, slopes, fishways, gates or other devices as the commission may …

Every chute, slope, fishway, gate or other device referred to in section 3501 (relating to devices in dams to permit fish migration) shall be operated in a manner prescribed by the commission and shall remain open and be maintained in good order and repair by the person owning or…

Any chute, fishway or other device may be closed for repairs or when not needed with written approval of the commission.

Any person failing to comply with section 3501 (relating to devices in dams to permit fish migration) or 3502 (relating to operation and maintenance of devices) within three calendar months of the date of notice provided in section 3501 shall forfeit and pay to the Commonwealth a…

If the person owning, leasing or maintaining a dam fails to erect a chute, slope, fishway, gate or other device after the lapse of three calendar months from the date of notice provided by section 3501 (relating to devices in dams to permit fish migration), or fails to maintain t…

(a) Drawing off or obstructing dams.--No person shall draw off dam waters inhabited by fish without first applying for written permission from the commission, nor shall any person obstruct the flow of water through any such dam without allowing a minimum flow of water determined …

(a) General rule.--The commission shall promulgate such rules and regulations as it deems necessary to protect and manage fish within one mile or such lesser distance as it deems appropriate of any chute, slope, fishway, gate, dam, reflector, retards or similar devices. (b) Penal…

(a) General rule.--Any person owning, leasing or maintaining a raceway, flume or inlet pipe leading to a water wheel, turbine pump or canal shall immediately upon receipt of a written order from the commission place and maintain a bar rack of not less than one-half inch nor more …

(a) General rule.--No person shall place any device or object in waters within this Commonwealth in a manner that obstructs the migration or passage of fish therein or obstructs any fishway but the commission may, as it deems necessary in the interest of fish management, authoriz…

(a) New dams.--In issuing permits for the construction or installation of new run-of-the-river dams on the waters of this Commonwealth, the department shall include a permit advisory notifying the permittee of the requirements of this section. The permittee of a new run-of-the-ri…

The commission shall supervise, through the executive director, the administration and the enforcement of the provisions of this part, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and any existing laws regulating the operation and equipment of boats operated on any waters of …

(a) Commonwealth agencies.-- (1) Concurrent jurisdiction.--Any power, duty or jurisdiction conferred or imposed by this part shall be deemed to be supplemental to any existing power, duty or jurisdiction conferred or imposed by law or by any other Commonwealth agency over, upon o…

(a) Mandatory program of boater education.--Except as otherwise provided in this section, any person born on or after January 1, 1982, shall not operate, on the waters of this Commonwealth, a motorboat without first obtaining a certificate of boating safety education. (b) Complia…

(a) General rule.--Except as otherwise provided under subsection (c), the following fees apply to registrations, licenses, permits and certificates issued under this part and the fees collected shall be deposited in the State Treasury in the Boat Fund: (1) Owner registration (mot…

(a) General rule.--The commission may promulgate rules and regulations specifically authorized under this part and such other rules and regulations as it deems necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of this part. (b) Conformity to Federal law.--All rules and regulatio…

(a) General rule.--The commission may promulgate rules and regulations relating to: (1) Permanent and temporary registration of boats. (2) Special provisions applicable to livery operators, outfitters, dealers, manufacturers and the owners or operators of passenger-carrying boats…

(a) General rule.--The commission may promulgate such rules and regulations as it deems appropriate to provide for the operation and navigation of boats, including the rules of the road for boating, the ways, manner, methods and means of boating, the management of boats and the u…

(a) General rule.--The commission may promulgate special rules and regulations for particular artificial or natural areas of water for further limiting, restricting or prohibiting the operation or navigation of boats thereon to promote the interests of the public or to preserve a…

(a) General rule.--In an action or proceeding under this title in which a material element of the offense or action is that a substance is liquor or a malt or brewed beverage, all the following shall apply: (1) Chemical analysis is not required to prove that the substance is liqu…