The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will offer new commercial fishing licenses and renewals from its Lake Charles office location from Tuesday May 10th to Thursday May 12th, 2016.

“We will continue to make our licenses more accessible to our commercial fishermen,” said LDWF Secretary Charlie Melancon.  “It is our hope that we can make the jobs of our commercial fishermen a bit more convenient by offering commercial licenses throughout our coastal parishes.”

Most commercial fishing licenses will be available for purchase from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.  The Lake Charles office is located at 1213 North Lakeshore Drive, and their contact number is 337-491-2575.

Fishermen are reminded that personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders and cash will be accepted at the Lake Charles office.  No credit cards will be taken.  To avoid processing delays, those purchasing licenses are asked to bring their license renewal notices with them.

First-time applicants can apply by mail or in-person.  Renewals can be completed online at www.wlf.la.gov. When applying in person you must provide the following:

·      Resident applicants must provide proof of residency such as a Louisiana driver’s license the he has held continuously during 12 months immediately prior to the date on which he applies for any license, voter’s registration, vehicle registration and state income tax.

·      Non-residents applicants must provide proof of residency from their domiciliary state, such as driver’s license, voter’s registration, vehicle registration and state income tax

·      Applicants applying for a license in a business name must provide documentation showing proof of valid federal tax ID# assigned to business name and proof of authorized signature, or an occupational license will be required.

For commercial license inquiries, contact (225) 765-2898.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov or www.FishLA.org. To receive recreational or commercial fishing email and text alerts, signup at http://www.wlf.la.gov/signup.