DOVER — Surf fishing will require a permit and a reservation next year if you want to get on the beach during specified hours on summer weekends and holidays.

Delaware’s Division of Parks and Recreation announced the pilot program on Wednesday.

Unlike the practice since 2019, there will be no cap to the number of annual permits issued.

A reservation system will be put in place and anglers will need to reserve a spot on the beach of their choice the week before.

The state’s goal is to better manage capacity, particularly on summer weekends when access to surfing beaches is in highest demand.

“When we’re talking about this problem, it’s really a problem on holiday weekends during the summer and Saturdays and Sundays in the summer,” said Ray Bivens, director of Delaware’s Division of Parks and Recreation.

Reservations, costing $4, will be required Saturdays, Sundays and holidays starting the third weekend in May through Labor Day weekend between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The holidays are Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Fourth of July and Labor Day.

The reservation fee will be used to pay for the handling process and to add staff to check for proof of reservations.

Permit sales will begin in December.

“There is no chaos about getting your surf fishing permit this year,” Mr. Bivens said. “We’re going to issue as many permits as people request. Where there is more demand and how we will manage that capacity is through the reservation system.”

Mr. Bivens said the division began a comprehensive review of the surf fishing tag program following unprecedented permit sales for the 2022 season.

The state’s online permitting system was overwhelmed last year on opening day of tag sales. That day, the 17,000 permits were sold out in two hours.

Mr. Bivens said the state anticipates high demand with reservations on peak weekends.

“That will be a rush and there’s no doubt about that,” said Mr. Bivens. “But there will not be the camping out of our offices and trying to get online.”

The pilot program will work like what state parks do with camping reservations, Mr. Bivens said.

The division reviewed practices elsewhere in the nation and solicited feedback from several stakeholders, he said.

Recommendations were presented to the Parks and Recreation Council in August and approved.

Surveys were sent to 30,000 current and former surf tag holders. More than 7,000 responded.

“Of those 7,000, many were people who wanted to have a surf permit but were locked out,” Mr. Bivens said.

Additional details from the state on the pilot program:

• Reservations will not be available for off-peak surf tag permit holders.

• Reservations will be for a specific beach location and can be made for one of seven different locations.

• Reservations can be made online (desktop and mobile) or through the Division of Parks and Recreation’s call center. Reservations cannot be made in person at the state parks or at the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control central office in Dover.

• Reservations must be printed and displayed in the vehicle for enforcement verification. Mobile verification may be used as a backup.

• Weekend reservations will be made available weekly. Reservations will be first-come, first-served and will open the same week for the coming weekend, including holidays. Reservations will be accepted starting on the same weekday throughout the peak surf fishing season. The day of the week will be announced by DNREC before the reservation system is launched in May.

• Reservations will continue to be taken through 4 p.m. on the day of, if space allows to accommodate same-day reservations.

• One reservation will be allowed per surf tag permit holder per day, and reservations are non-refundable and non-transferable.

• Even after a park reaches capacity, anglers with surf fishing reservations will be allowed into the park.

• Annual surf fishing permit holders can access the beach without a reservation on weekends and holidays after 4 p.m., but must be off the beach by 8 a.m. the next morning.

• Anglers who previously purchased a two-year permit (2022-23) will be subject to the new reservation system. A full refund of the second year will be available to permit holders upon request no later than March 31, 2023.

• Anyone purchasing a surf fishing permit will be required to acknowledge they have watched an instructional video with beach driving tips, including requisite understanding of airing down vehicle tires, in-vehicle mandatory equipment and safety requirements for surf fishing on state park beaches.