Pretty sure if you're fishing in another states state waters, you have to have a license to fish there. Federal waters honor reciprocity agreements, but state waters normally do not.

You are correct, for freshwater lakes and the ilk. But in cases like this one, where the border between NY and NJ is a tidal river (Hudson), I think it's always been held that it's where you launch from that dictates whose license you need. And in all cases, don't forget that we're talking about the Federally mandated Saltwater license, not a state license. So I think that as long as you have one it covers all areas. For instance, how do you know (if you're in the Gulf of Mexico for instance), whose state waters you're actually fishing in? That can change in an instant as you drift from one State boundary to another's. It would be ludicrous to have to require a sport recreational fisherman to acquire Saltwater licenses from each of the states that border the Gulf. Not talking commercial fishermen here. They live under a different set of rules.

Okay, from the NY State site, the following is their law:

"License requirements:

Depending on the specific location of the Hudson River fishing activities, and/or the specific species fished for, an angler may need to have a recreational marine fishing registry (Salt water) license, a fishing license or both :

If you are fishing downstream from the Tappan Zee Bridge, you are considered fishing in the marine and coastal district and will need to enroll in the recreational marine fishing registry."

Since I am already enrolled in the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry through my New Jersey Salt Water registration I have met all the requirements and do not need to obtain a separate NY license. The Verrazzano Bridge and Sandy Hook are well below the Tappan Zee Bridge and are considered a marine and coastal area.

in the gulf, doesn't matter where you launch from or live, its the water in which you are fishing. state waters extend out 9 miles from shore. if they check , you need a state issued license from whose water your in. with modern gps technology, they can tell you where u are.

there is no federal recreational sw license. some migratory fish require federal permits, but not ones fished for usually.