Marine Fisheries to Implement Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact

Starting July 1, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will implement requirements of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact Act ("Act") for marine and estuarine fisheries violations, as directed by the N.C. General Assembly. The Act provides reciprocal recognition of license suspensions with participating states.

Proposed rules were adopted by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission in March 2025 and approved by the Rules Review Commission in May 2025. The rules will apply to marine and estuarine fisheries violations committed in North Carolina or any other participating state starting July 1, 2025.

In its definition of "wildlife," the Act includes all species of animals the Commission and the Division protect and regulate. The Act provides enhanced flexibility for fair and impartial treatment of non-residents with wildlife resources violations, including fishing violations. The adoption of these rules allows the Division to hold wildlife violators accountable and treat them the same, regardless of their state residency.

Text of the rules can be found in the June 1, 2025, Supplement to the 2020 N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rulebook at https://deq.nc.gov/DMF-Rules.

For questions about these rules, email Catherine Blum, rules coordinator for the Division of Marine Fisheries.