Mexican Fishing License: How to Get One for Rocky Point (Step by Step)

Know Who Needs a License

The "everyone aboard" rule surprises a lot of Arizona anglers. If the Mexican Navy or fisheries inspectors board the boat, they can ask every person for a license, and fines are possible. When in doubt, buy one for each person on the boat.

Choose the Right License Length

A Mexican fishing license is valid in all Mexican waters, including the Sea of Cortez at Rocky Point. Licenses run by whole days, weeks, months, or years.

Fees are the 2026 federal sport fishing license prices in Mexican pesos, set in Article 199-B of Mexico's Federal Law of Fees. Fees adjust every January, and the dollar cost moves with the exchange rate. Checked October 2026.

A one-day license covers one calendar day. If you buy it for Friday and fish Saturday, it has expired. For a weekend with two fishing days, the weekly license is usually the better deal.

Buy Your License Online Step by Step

1. Go to CONAPESCA's official online permit system at e5cinco.conapesca.gob.mx. Avoid look-alike sites that add fees.
2. Choose the license type and length: day, week, month, or year.
3. Pick your start date. The license starts on the date you choose, not the date you buy.
4. Enter your details: full name as it appears on your passport, address, email, and passport number. Visitors use a passport number in place of a Mexican tax ID.
5. Pay by credit or debit card. The fee is charged in pesos.
6. Download the PDF. Print it, and save a copy on your phone. Offshore, your phone may have no signal, so paper is the safe bet.
7. Carry it with photo ID every time you fish.

Buy licenses before you leave Arizona. It is one less thing to figure out at the border.

Get a License Through Your Charter

Most Rocky Point charters can arrange licenses, and our partner captains include them in the trip. If you book with us, you do not need to buy anything in advance. Just give the captain each angler's full name when you book. If you also plan to fish on your own during the trip, buy a separate license that covers those days.

Follow the Rules That Come with It

• Daily limits. Mexico's sport fishing standard sets a daily limit of 10 fish per angler, with no more than 5 of one species. Billfish, sharks, and giant sea bass are limited to 1 per day and count as 5 fish. Your captain knows the current numbers.
• Finfish only. A sport fishing license covers fish. Clams, scallops, lobster, and other shellfish are reserved for commercial fishermen. Buy those at the fish market.
• Protected species. Totoaba, sea turtles, and marine mammals are protected and may never be kept. See totoaba and vaquita rules.
• Carry proof. Keep the printed license with your ID while fishing.
• Bringing fish home. Declare all fish at the U.S. border. See bringing fish back from Mexico.

These limits come from Mexico's sport fishing standard, NOM-017-PESC-1994 as amended in 2013. Checked October 2026. Closures can change, so ask your captain before every trip.

Rocky Point vs Baja: What Is Different

Almost every license guide online is written for Baja California and San Diego anglers. A few things are different for Rocky Point:

• The license is federal. A CONAPESCA license works in Sonora the same as in Baja. Baja state programs, Baja tourism offices, and San Diego pickup locations are not the only way to buy it, and you do not need to go through them.
• You are not crossing at San Diego. Rocky Point anglers cross at Lukeville, Arizona. Buy online before you leave.
• The Upper Gulf has extra protections. Rocky Point is near the Upper Gulf of California, where special rules protect the vaquita and totoaba. They mainly target commercial gillnets, but anglers should know them.
• Baja state rules do not apply in Sonora. If a guide mentions a Baja-specific requirement, it does not cover Rocky Point.