§ 113-168.1.  General provisions governing licenses and endorsements.

(a) Duration, Fees. - Except as provided in G.S. 113-173(f), all licenses and endorsements issued under this Article expire on the last day of the license year. An applicant for any license or endorsement shall pay the full annual fee at the time the applicant applies for the license or endorsement regardless of when application is made.

(b) Licenses Required to Engage in Commercial Fishing. - It is unlawful for any person to engage in a commercial fishing operation without holding a license and any endorsements required by this Article. It is unlawful for anyone to command a vessel engaged in a commercial fishing operation without complying with the provisions of this Article and rules adopted by the Commission under this Article.

(c) Licenses, Assignments, and Endorsements Available for Inspection. - It is unlawful for any person to engage in a commercial fishing operation in the State without having ready at hand for inspection all valid licenses, assignments, and endorsements required under this Article. To comply with this subsection, a person must have any required endorsements and either a currently valid (i) license issued in the person's true name and bearing the person's current address or (ii) SCFL and an assignment of the SCFL authorized under this Article. It is unlawful for a person to refuse to exhibit any license, assignment, or endorsement required by this Article upon the request of an inspector or other law enforcement officer authorized to enforce federal or State laws, regulations, or rules relating to marine fisheries.

(d) No Dual Residency. - It is unlawful for any person to hold any currently valid license issued under this Article to the person as a North Carolina resident if that person holds any currently valid commercial or recreational fishing license issued by another state to the person as a resident of that state.

(e) License Format. - Licenses issued under this Article shall be issued in the name of the applicant. Each license shall show the type of license and any endorsements; the name, mailing address, physical or residence address, and date of birth of the licensee; the date on which the license is issued; the date on which the license expires; and any other information that the Commission or the Division determines to be necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Subchapter.

(f) License Issuance and Renewal. - Except as provided in G.S. 113-173(d), the Division shall issue licenses and endorsements under this Article to eligible applicants at any office of the Division or by mail from the Morehead City office of the Division. A license or endorsement may be renewed in person at any office of the Division or by mail to the Morehead City office of the Division. Eligibility to renew an expired SCFL shall end one year after the date of expiration of the SCFL.

(g) Limitations on Eligibility. - A person is not eligible to obtain or renew a license or endorsement under this Article if, at the time the person applies for the license or endorsement, any other license or endorsement issued to the person under this Article is suspended or revoked. A person is not eligible to obtain a license or endorsement under this Article if, within the three years prior to the date of application, the person has been determined to be responsible for four or more violations of state laws, regulations, or rules governing the management of marine and estuarine resources. An applicant shall certify that the applicant has not been determined to be responsible for four or more violations of state laws, regulations, or rules governing the management of marine and estuarine resources during the previous three years. The Division may also consider violations of federal law and regulations governing the management of marine and estuarine resources in determining whether an applicant is eligible for a license.

(h) Replacement Licenses and Endorsements. - The Division shall issue a replacement license, including any endorsements, to a licensee for a license that has not been suspended or revoked. A licensee may apply for a replacement license for a license that has been lost, stolen, or destroyed and shall apply for a replacement license within 30 days of a change in the licensee's name or address. A licensee may apply for a replacement license in person at any office of the Division or by mail to the Morehead City office of the Division. A licensee may use a copy of the application for a replacement license that has been filed with the Division as a temporary license until the licensee receives the replacement license. The Commission may establish a fee for each type of replacement license, not to exceed twelve dollars and fifty cents ($12.50), that compensates the Division for the administrative costs associated with issuing the replacement license.

(i) Cancellation. - The Division may cancel a license or endorsement issued on the basis of an application that contains false information supplied by the applicant. A cancelled license or endorsement is void from the date of issuance. A person in possession of a cancelled license or endorsement shall surrender the cancelled license or endorsement to the Division. It is unlawful to refuse to surrender a cancelled license or endorsement upon demand of any authorized agent of the Division.

(j) Advance Sale of Licenses, License Revenue. - To ensure an orderly transition from one license year to the next, the Division may issue a license or endorsement prior to 1 July of the license year for which the license or endorsement is valid. Revenue that the Division receives for the issuance of a license or endorsement prior to the beginning of a license year shall not revert at the end of the fiscal year in which the revenue is received and shall be credited and available to the Division only for the license year in which the license or endorsement is valid. Any license revenue carried forward from one fiscal year to the next under this subsection that remains unencumbered and unexpended at the end of the fiscal year in which the license or endorsement is valid shall revert to the General Fund. (1997-400, s. 5.1; 1998-225, s. 4.10; 1999-209, s. 6; 2001-213, s. 2; 2013-360, s. 14.8(a); 2014-100, s. 14.10.)