How to Start a Lobster Fishing Business in Maine: Class I, II and III Licenses from $135.75, the 1,000 Hour Apprentice Program, Zone Waiting Lists and the 800 Trap Cap

Lobstering is one of the few businesses in Maine where the license is the real gatekeeper. You can form an LLC in an afternoon, but nothing about a lobster business starts until the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) issues you a commercial lobster license. For most newcomers, that means completing an apprenticeship and working within a limited-entry zone. This guide walks through how to start a lobster fishing business in Maine, from choosing a license class to filing your business paperwork.

Informational disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Program rules and fees change, and several figures below are marked for you to confirm directly with DMR. For entity choice, tax planning, or any dispute over a license, talk to a qualified attorney or CPA.

What You Need Before You Start

• Your Maine residency status, because the fees below are resident figures
• Your date of birth, since the resident Class I fee applies to people ages 18 to 69
• A sponsor, if you plan to use the apprentice route. Sponsors must have held a Class I to III license for at least 5 years in the same declared zone
• A declared zone (A through G) and a plan for the zone's waiting list
• A US Coast Guard approved Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor course, required for the apprentice program
• Budget for the license fee, a boat, gear, and traps. Trap tag fees must be confirmed with DMR
• Access to DMR's LEEDS licensing system and the DMR phone line at 207-624-6550, option 2
• If you form an LLC: the Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6), the $175 filing fee, a registered agent, and a compliant name

Step 1: Choose Your License Class and Budget the Full Fee

DMR licenses commercial lobstering in three classes, each tied to how many people can work under the license. The state adds a surcharge to every license fee, so budget the total, not the base figure. Missing the surcharge is one of the most common budgeting errors.

License	Base fee	Surcharge	Total	Who it covers
Class I (resident, ages 18 to 69)	$125.75	$10	$135.75	One licensed person
Class II	$252.50	$20	$272.50	Licensee plus 1 unlicensed crew member
Class III	$377.25	$30	$407.25	Licensee plus 4 unlicensed crew
Apprentice (age 18 or older)	$122	$10	$132	Apprentice in the program
Student	$60	$5	$65	Confirm eligibility with DMR

These figures are for Maine residents. Confirm nonresident fees with DMR before you plan a budget around them.

Step 2: Confirm Which Route You Qualify For

Under the rules DMR publishes, a Class I to III license goes to a person who held one in the previous calendar year or who completed the apprentice program. A newcomer with no prior license will generally enter through the apprentice program. Ask DMR how the student license applies if you are still in school, because it is a separate category with its own conditions.

Step 3: Complete the Apprentice Program

The apprentice program is the main entry point for a new lobster business. It takes a minimum of 24 months, 1,000 hours on the water, and 200 fishing days. You can have up to 3 sponsors during the program, and your training must include the US Coast Guard approved Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor course.

Treat the program as a documented record, not just time on a boat. Keep a dated log of hours and fishing days, and make sure each sponsor understands what they must confirm. Sponsor agreements are a good place to spell out expectations in writing. An attorney can help you draft those if the relationship is complex.

Step 4: Pick Your Zone and Understand the Waiting Lists

Every zone, A through G, is limited entry and runs a waiting list. The lists were last updated in May 2026. You must apprentice in the zone where you intend to fish, so your zone choice is a long-term decision, not a paperwork detail. Maine also runs island limited-entry programs, which work differently from the mainland zones.

Waiting list lengths and exit ratios are not settled figures in this guide. Call DMR at 207-624-6550, option 2, and ask for current numbers for the zone you want, along with how the list moves and what an exit ratio means for your place on it.

Step 5: Plan Around the 800 Trap Cap

Each license carries a trap limit of 800 under 12 MRSA 6431-A, as amended by PL 2025 c. 570. Some zones set a lower limit by zone rule, so the 800 figure is a ceiling, not a guarantee. Before you buy traps, confirm the limit that applies to your zone and license class.

Trap tag fees are not settled in this guide. Ask DMR for the current tag fees and how tags are issued, and build them into your startup budget before you order gear.

Step 6: Apply Through LEEDS and Pay the Full Fee

Apply through DMR's LEEDS system when you are eligible for the class you want. Pay the total fee, including the surcharge, which is $135.75 for a resident Class I license. Keep your confirmation records with your apprentice log and your entity documents. A clean paper trail makes it easier to resolve questions later.

Step 7: Decide Whether to Form an LLC or Operate as a Sole Proprietor

A lobster license is issued to a person, and forming an entity does not change that. Forming an LLC is a business decision for liability and paperwork, not a substitute for a fishing license. Here is what the state requires if you choose an LLC.

• Formation: File the Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6) under 31 MRSA 1531. The filing fee is $175. Maine does not accept online formation filings, so print the fillable PDF and mail or deliver it with payment to the Secretary of State.
• Name: The name must include limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation such as LLC, L.L.C., LC or L.C. You can reserve a name for 120 days on Form MLLC-1 for $20.
• Registered agent: Every Maine LLC must maintain a registered agent. A noncommercial agent must give a physical Maine street address, not a P.O. box. Changes are filed on Form CLKRA-3 for $35.
• Speed: The Secretary of State currently states a processing time of 2 to 7 business days, but earlier published figures were much longer, so confirm current timing. Expedited service costs $50 for 24 hour service or $100 for immediate service, and availability depends on staffing.
• Annual report: File the Annual Report (Form MLLC-13) for $85 every year by June 1. The first report is due between January 1 and June 1 of the year after formation.
• Taxes: Maine has no LLC franchise tax and no separate LLC annual tax. By default, an LLC is taxed as a pass-through, so members report income on Maine individual returns at rates of 5.8% to 7.15%. Ask a CPA whether an election fits your situation.

If you plan to operate under a trade name, a registered LLC files the Statement of Intention to do Business under an Assumed Name (Form ASUM-5) at the Secretary of State for $125. A sole proprietor or general partnership instead files a sworn assumed-name certificate with the clerk of the city or town where the business is carried on, under 31 MRSA 1.

Search for existing business names on the Secretary of State business search before you commit to a name. The main Secretary of State page is at maine.gov/sos/corporations-commissions.

Step 8: Check Local and State Requirements Beyond the License

Maine has no general statewide business license and no general town license. Registering an entity or an assumed name is a filing, not a license. Licensing is handled by activity. Municipal officers license named activities by ordinance, and fees vary widely from town to town. Counties do not license ordinary businesses.

Ask your town office whether any local ordinance applies to the work you plan, including waterfront use and docking. Maine's free Business Answers service can help you identify state permits or licenses that apply to your activity. The Maine Small Business Development Centers can help with business planning at no cost. For state tax registration questions, see Maine Revenue Services.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Budgeting the base fee. The Class I total is $135.75, not $125.75. Include the surcharge in every estimate.
• Treating an LLC as a fishing license. Forming an entity does not authorize you to fish.
• Apprenticing in the wrong zone. The program requires you to apprentice in the zone where you will fish. Confirm your zone before you start logging hours.
• Overlooking the sponsor rule. Sponsors must have held a Class I to III license for at least 5 years in the same declared zone.
• Assuming the 800 trap cap applies everywhere. Some zones set a lower limit, so check your zone rule.
• Using a P.O. box for your registered agent. A noncommercial agent needs a physical Maine street address.
• Missing the June 1 annual report. The $85 annual report is due every June 1 for LLCs.
• Mailing Secretary of State forms without payment. Filings must go out with the correct fee.
• Guessing at waiting list times. Call DMR for current figures rather than relying on rumors from the harbor.

Practical Tips

• Call DMR early, before you buy a boat or traps. The zone and license questions shape every other decision.
• Keep your apprentice log current every week. Hours and fishing days are the proof you will need later.
• Ask your sponsors to sign off on the log regularly, so there are no disputes at the end of the program.
• Set up a simple tracking sheet for fees, filing dates and renewals, with the June 1 annual report at the top.
• Ask the Maine SBDC for help building a startup budget that includes the license fee, tag fees, gear and insurance.

What to Expect: Realistic Results

Maine's commercial lobster fishery is large. DMR reported 2025 landings of 78.8 million pounds worth $461.4 million (DMR, March 2026). That figure describes the whole fishery, not what any one license earns, and it should not be read as a forecast for your business.

For planning, a new entrant should expect the apprentice program alone to take at least two years, since the minimum is 24 months. Waiting for a zone opening can take longer, so the timeline can extend well past the program's minimum. Earnings depend on your zone, your effort, gear, weather, markets and prices, and none of those can be promised in advance. Build your plan around the costs you can verify and the timeline DMR confirms for your zone.

Next Steps

1. Call DMR at 207-624-6550, option 2, and confirm the zone, waiting list status and current trap tag fees.
2. Line up a sponsor and confirm the 5-year zone requirement.
3. Enroll in a US Coast Guard approved Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor course.
4. Decide whether to operate as a sole proprietor or form an LLC, and file the correct forms with the correct fees.
5. Ask your town office about local ordinances, and check Business Answers for any state permits tied to your activity.
6. Calendar the June 1 annual report if you form an LLC.

This article is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Confirm every fee, deadline and program requirement with the agency named before you act, and consult a qualified attorney or CPA for complex situations.