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.09 Recreational Crabbing Licenses — Chesapeake Bay and Its Tidal Tributaries
Chesapeake recreational crabbing: $5 individual license ($2 with sport fishing license, $10 nonresident). Boat license $15/year covers everyone aboard. No license needed for dipnets, handlines, or 2 pots from your own property. Licenses good for 365 days.
A. Individual License Requirements. Persons using trotlines, collapsible traps, net rings, seines, or up to ten eel pots must obtain a recreational crabbing license. Fees: $5 resident, $2 resident with sport fishing license, $10 nonresident. B. Boat License Option. A recreational crabbing boat license costs $15 annually and authorizes trotline and trap use. Includes a complimentary recreational crabbing license and a decal that exempts all aboard from individual licensing requirements when permanently displayed. C. Exemptions. No license needed when using dipnets, handlines, or up to two crab pots (if qualified), or when assisting a licensed individual, or when aboard a licensed recreational boat. D. Private Property Registration. Property owners/lessees along the bay shore may register crab pots at no cost. E. Validity. Licenses remain valid for 365 days following the date of issuance. Authorized agents may retain commission fees.