Suffolk County Ferry License

About Applying for a Ferry License:

Suffolk County, being uniquely surrounded by various barrier islands, offers ferry services to residents and individuals visiting and traveling to these islands. Ferry services must be licensed with the County of Suffolk in order to operate their business. Below is a detailed summary of Suffolk County’s Ferry Service law.

About the Ferry Service Law:

Suffolk County’s Ferry Service law was imposed by § 131-g of the Highway Law, Article 8 of the Navigation Law and Article 6 of the Transportation Corporations Law, for the purposes of carrying out licensing and rate-setting for ferry service operators providing services on water-ways within the bounds of the county. Chapter 455: Ferry Service, outlines Suffolk County’s law as it pertains to obtaining a license and can be viewed here.

Who needs to apply for a ferry license:

A ferry operator shall consist of any entity providing ferry, water taxi, and freight service within the water-bounds of Suffolk County. This includes cross-bay and lateral services being offered throughout the South Shore of Long Island and lateral services being provided on the North Shore of Long Island.

How do I apply for a Suffolk County Ferry License?

If you are an entity providing services mentioned in the ‘Who needs to apply for a ferry license’ section, you will need to apply for a Suffolk County Ferry License. Please click here to start your application process.

How do I renew my Ferry License with Suffolk County?

If you have already submitted a petition for your license and rates, and you are looking to renew your license with the County of Suffolk, please click here.

How do I submit a rate change to my existing license?

If you have an existing petition with the County of Suffolk and you would like to alter your existing rates, please click here for the application process. 

Click here to view a list of current and pending licensed ferry operators.