Blue Crab Regulations in Florida (2026)

Where

Statewide

Bag limit

A hard crab (VH) endorsement is required to harvest commercial quantities of hard shell blue. A VH endorsement entitles the owner to fish up to 600 inshore blue crab traps, and an additional 400 traps offshore in the Gulf of America, per endorsed SPL. A total of 150 soft crabs per endorsed SPL may be landed daily as bycatch. Fishermen can maintain as many as three shedding tanks without possessing a soft shell crab endorsement.; A soft crab (VS) endorsement is required to harvest commercial quantities of soft shell crabs. A VS endorsement allows up to 400 peeler traps to be fished and allows the holder to operate a blue crab shedding facility with greater than 3 shedding tanks. Entities with more than one qualifying SPL are entitled to receive up to 250 additional traps per additional endorsed SPL.; A hard crab (VN) endorsement is a nontransferable blue crab endorsement that allows the endorsement holder to deploy 100 hard shell blue crab traps in any state waters where blue crab traps are allowed. A total of 150 soft crabs per endorsed SPL may be landed daily as bycatch. Fishermen can maintain as many as three shedding tanks without possessing a soft crab endorsement. The non-transferable blue crab endorsement cannot be sold or other wise transferred. If the holder of a VN endorsement purchases a VH endorsement the non-transferrable endorsement shall be forfeited.; A blue crab (VI) incidental take endorsement allows persons possessing a valid stone crab endorsement or persons who can demonstrate landings of blue crabs as bycatch using legal shrimping gear, to harvest and sell up to 200 pounds of blue crabs as bycatch, provided the amount does not exceed 200 pounds of blue crabs per vessel per trip.

Season

In an effort to identify and retrieve lost and abandoned blue crab traps from Florida, the FWC has established regional blue crab trap closures. These 6 regional closures last up to 10 days and prohibit using traps for the recreational and commercial harvest of blue crabs in these areas. The closures alternate coasts every year with closures on the east coast of Florida occurring during the even numbered years and closures on the west coast occurring on the odd years.; These closed seasons only apply to standard blue crab traps. The harvest of blue crabs by other gear, such as dip nets and fold-up traps, is permitted during the closures. Traps that are attached to private property such as a dock are not included in the closures.; Even Year Closures: All waters of the St. Johns River system its associated lakes and tributaries from west of the St. Johns River's intersection with the Intercoastal Canal through and including Lake Helen of Blazes from Jan. 16-25; Even Year Closures: All waters from the Georgia/Florida state line, excluding the St. Johns River system, south through Volusia County from Aug. 20-29; Even Year Closures: All waters of Brevard through Palm Beach counties, excluding the St. Johns River system, from Aug. 10-19; Odd Year Closures: All waters of Franklin County to the Florida/Alabama state line however, excluding all waters of the Ochlockonee River and Bay, from January 5-14; Odd Year Closures: All waters of Broward through Pasco Counties from July 10-19; Odd Year Closures: EARLY END (traps can be placed back in the water July 25, 2021) All waters of Hernando through Wakulla counties including all waters of the Ochlockonee River and Bay from July 20-29

• Blue Crab ID
• License Requirements: SPL, RS and blue crab endorsement (VH, VS, VN)
• For full rule, visit 68B-45
• Gear and harvest specifications and size and bag limits differ for the various fishery segments (hard crabs, bycatch, peeler crabs, or live bait.)
• Florida Atlantic Blue Crab Trap/Pot Fishery Gear Regulations and Guidelines ( Click Southeast Blue Crab under Outreach)
• Special regulations apply for this species when in Biscayne National Park.
• A hard crab (VH) endorsement is required to harvest commercial quantities of hard shell blue. A VH endorsement entitles the owner to fish up to 600 inshore blue crab traps, and an additional 400 traps offshore in the Gulf of America, per endorsed SPL. A total of 150 soft crabs per endorsed SPL may be landed daily as bycatch. Fishermen can maintain as many as three shedding tanks without possessing a soft shell crab endorsement.
• A soft crab (VS) endorsement is required to harvest commercial quantities of soft shell crabs. A VS endorsement allows up to 400 peeler traps to be fished and allows the holder to operate a blue crab shedding facility with greater than 3 shedding tanks. Entities with more than one qualifying SPL are entitled to receive up to 250 additional traps per additional endorsed SPL.
• A hard crab (VN) endorsement is a nontransferable blue crab endorsement that allows the endorsement holder to deploy 100 hard shell blue crab traps in any state waters where blue crab traps are allowed. A total of 150 soft crabs per endorsed SPL may be landed daily as bycatch. Fishermen can maintain as many as three shedding tanks without possessing a soft crab endorsement. The non-transferable blue crab endorsement cannot be sold or other wise transferred. If the holder of a VN endorsement purchases a VH endorsement the non-transferrable endorsement shall be forfeited.
• A blue crab (VI) incidental take endorsement allows persons possessing a valid stone crab endorsement or persons who can demonstrate landings of blue crabs as bycatch using legal shrimping gear, to harvest and sell up to 200 pounds of blue crabs as bycatch, provided the amount does not exceed 200 pounds of blue crabs per vessel per trip.

Official source