Louisiana Recreational Offshore Landing Permit
What is a ROLP?
The ROLP (Recreational Offshore Landing Permit) is a free permit that is required in addition to all other applicable licenses and/or permits to be in possession of certain offshore fish species or species groups in Louisiana state waters. The following are species or species groups that require a ROLP:
- tunas
- billfish
- swordfish
- amberjacks
- snappers
- groupers
- hinds
- cobia
- wahoo
- dolphinfish
- gray triggerfish
What is the purpose of the ROLP?
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries developed the Recreational Offshore Landing Permit Program to better quantify and characterize the charter and recreational fishermen who fish beyond Louisiana’s territorial waters.
Do anglers under 18 years of age need a ROLP?
No. Minors (under 18 years of age) are not required to have a ROLP.
I am not required to possess a Louisiana fishing license because I was born before June 1, 1940. Do I need a ROLP?
Yes. When registering for a ROLP, you must input your date of birth for verification of age prior to adding a permit to your account.
I do not fish offshore very often, if ever. Should I get a ROLP just to be safe?
No. Register for a ROLP only if you are planning to go on a private, recreational offshore trip. If you do not fish offshore or only go offshore on charter boats as a client, please do not register for a ROLP.
I am going on a charter trip as a client. Do I need a ROLP?
No. The charter captain is required to have a charter ROLP covering all clients onboard.
I am a charter captain. Do I need a ROLP?
Yes, but only if you or anyone onboard intends to keep specified offshore species. A Charter ROLP covers all clients on your boat.
I am an offshore charter captain who also fishes offshore species recreationally. Which license type do I choose when registering for an ROLP?
You should register for a Charter ROLP only.
How do I find my LDWF Fishing License Number?
Go to the account management page on our licensing site. Log in using your social security number or driver's license number to find your LDWF license number.
Can I register multiple persons under one account or E-mail?
No. We removed the option to add anglers to an account to improve the accuracy of the information coming out of the ROLP program. As of now, each angler has to have their own ROLP account. To create an account, each angler must have their own unique email address.
I get "Invalid Credentials" when I try to log-in. How do I fix that?
The most common reason for the "Invalid Credentials" error is attempting to log in to a non-existent ROLP account. The license log-in option is an alternative to using email/password, but you must have a ROLP account to use either option. The license log-in option is not the same as your license account, where you purchase and print licenses. If you have never had a ROLP account, you will need to create one and confirm your email address before using the license log-in option.
There are less common issues that can cause the "Invalid Credentials" error, which impacts those that do have a ROLP account. If you are sure you have or had a ROLP and received the error, please contact LDWF.
How do I enter a DOB on an Android device?
*Instructions and screenshots are from Google Chrome running on an Android phone with Android 13. Screens and steps are almost identical in Edge and Firefox.
After clicking on the DOB field on the license log-in option page, a calendar should appear (Figure 1).
Figure 1.
To select a year, tap on the year in the upper left-hand corner of the calendar (Figure 2).
Figure 2.
Scroll down (top to bottom) to find the year needed (Figure 3).
Figure 3.
Scroll right or left to find the month needed.
Tap on the date needed (Figure 4).