This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Starting on Jan. 1, commercially guided fishing boats need to be registered in Wyoming. So if you’re bringing home the bread by bringing people out on the water, you’re going to need registration stickers.
That’s thanks to a law passed last legislative session, as well input from public meetings, an advisory board and Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) personnel. The agency developed and approved the new regulations this fall.
The industry’s been largely unregulated for decades, and guides haven’t had to pay permitting fees or register to operate in most parts of the state.
A big goal of the new program is to figure out how many guided boats are out on the water. That can help inform future decisions about how WGFD will manage and potentially regulate fishing on different stretches of water in the future.
Commercially guided fishing boats will need a registration sticker on their stern and one on the tongue of the boat trailer. Folks will also need to put a slip on the dashboard of their vehicle to show that they’ve registered.
Registering a boat costs $325 and is the same price for residents and non-residents. It will need to be renewed annually, and guides will also need to give the agency a report on where and when they guided twice a year.
Stickers are available online at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department license page. People can get registered in person at regional WGFD offices and the agency’s Cheyenne headquarters starting Jan. 2.
