TRENTON, N.J. – The New Jersey Senate has passed legislation that would give state residents a head start when applying for mobile sport fishing vehicle permits, responding to mounting complaints over a new lottery system at Island Beach State Park.
The measure, S-4775, sponsored by Senator Carmen Amato, Jr., along with Senators Shirley Turner and co-sponsored in the Assembly by Brian Rumpf and Gregory Myhre, would require the Department of Environmental Protection to establish a 14-day priority window exclusively for New Jersey residents before permits become available to nonresidents.
The legislation comes after policy changes to the popular fishing permit process led to frustration among longtime beachgoers who said the new system disadvantaged local applicants. Lawmakers said the bill aims to ensure fairness for residents whose tax dollars fund state parks and facilities.
“The intent of this legislation is simple: to give New Jersey residents the first opportunity to obtain mobile fishing permits,” Amato, Rumpf, and Myhre said in a joint statement. “While we understand there is high demand for these permits, that reality only strengthens the case that New Jersey residents should be given first preference.”
The sponsors noted that the lottery-style application introduced by the DEP replaced a long-standing first-come, first-served process that many locals had relied on for years. The new legislation, they said, would restore balance and reflect the investment residents make in maintaining state parks.
Assemblyman Rumpf, who previously authored a 2020 law exempting disabled veterans from beach buggy permit fees, said the bill continues a bipartisan tradition of protecting access for New Jersey residents and veterans alike.
S-4775 now moves to the Assembly, where the companion bill A-6229 awaits consideration by the Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee.