This online service allows residents and non-residents to annually register and print your registration through the Pennsylvania Saltwater Angler Registry Program (PA-SARP). As a registered saltwater angler, you may be asked to participate in surveys about your fishing activity. Information obtained from these surveys is used to determine the health and sustainability of marine fisheries and make informed decisions about how many fish can be caught the following year.

Data collected through PA-SARP will be given to the National Marine Fisheries Service in order to improve fishing effort surveys, and to exempt Pennsylvania anglers from having to sign up with the National Saltwater Angler Registry and pay the annual federal registration fee.

Beginning January 1, 2012, anglers, 16 years and older who fish in Pennsylvania and its boundary waters, have the option to either register through the free Pennsylvania Saltwater Angler Registry Program or to register, for a fee, through the federal system online registry, or by calling toll-free 1-888-MRIP-411 (888-674-7411).

Please note that anglers should contact the applicable state agency when fishing waters outside of Pennsylvania to be sure they are in compliance with the states saltwater angler registration requirements.

Reprint/Change Information?

Provide the requested information below and click the Access Current Registration button to update your registration contact information or reprint your registration card.

Who needs to register each year?

The Fish and Boat Code requires that all resident and non-resident anglers, 16 years of age and older, who target or catch shad, striped bass, and river herring (also known as alewife and blueback herring) from the Delaware River below Trenton Falls or in the Delaware River Estuary register with the Saltwater Angler Registry Program. Anglers who fail to register will be in violation of the Fish and Boat Code. There are certain exemptions available. Anglers do not need to register if they meet one of the following exceptions:

• Are under the age of 16.
• Hold a Highly Migratory Species Angling Permit.
• Fish commercially under a valid license.
• Possess a valid registration with the National Saltwater Angler Registry administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or from another exempted state.

Please note that River herring (also known as alewife and blueback herring) and hickory shad (endangered species) are regulated with a closed fishing season, year-round. These species are not to be targeted. If caught, they are to be immediately released.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Saltwater Angler Registry Program, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

What you will need to complete your registration:

1. You must have a valid Pennsylvania fishing license prior to registering with PA-SARP. If you do not have a valid Pennsylvania fishing license, you may purchase a fishing license from any licensing agent of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission or online by visiting The Outdoor Shop at http://www.pa.wildlifelicense.com.
2. Click on the Individual Registration button below to begin the registration process.
3. Please provide the requested information. You will need to provide your name, phone number, address, email address, date of birth and PALS Customer Identification Number (CID).
4. After verifying your information, click on Submit Registration and Print your Pennsylvania Saltwater Angler Registration.

Carry your Pennsylvania Saltwater Angler Registration Card with you while fishing as proof of compliance with this registration program. Please remember that anglers who register through PA-SARP must possess a valid Pennsylvania fishing license.

This website was prepared by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission under award number NA10NMF4740124 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce.