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COMMERCIAL CRABBING IN VIRGINIA TIDAL WATERS



Licensing Information

crab bullet Any person desiring to commercially crab in Virginia tidal waters must first obtain a Virginia Commercial Registration License (fee is $190 and $90 for age 70 and older).  Crab gear licenses can then be purchased from any Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) licensing agents, except that crab trap/pound licenses can only be obtained from the district marine patrol officer.  All licenses are valid for a calendar year and expire December 31 in the year issued.  Any person holding a Commercial Registration License must fully report their catches.  License tags for vessels using crab pots, trotlines, and crab scrapes shall be fastened at a conspicuous place on the starboard side of the boat or on the boat's mast, during the crab season [Code 28.2-226, 28.2-234, 28.2-241, 28.2-300, Regulation 4 VAC 20-30-10 ET SEQ., 4 VAC 20-610-10 ET SEQ.].

Annual License Fees
For each person taking crabs by dip nets $13
For ordinary trotlines $13
For patent trotlines $51
For up to 85.. crab pots $48
For 86 to 255.. crab pots $79
For 256 to 425 crab pots $127
For each crab trap or crab pound $8
For each single-rigged crab-scrape boat $26
For each double-rigged crab-scrape boat $53
For up to 20 shedding tanks & floats $9
For more than 20 shedding tanks & floats $19
For up to 210 peeler pots $36
[4 VAC 20-1090-30]

 



For additional rules on commercial crabbing please consult our Regulation Index, contact your local Marine Police Officer, or call the Commission at 757-247-2200.

Revised July 28, 2011

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