Florida blue crab regulations let you harvest recreationally year-round with a saltwater fishing license, a daily limit of 10 gallons of whole crabs per person, and no minimum size, but you must release all egg-bearing females, register any traps with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before use, and pull traps out of the water during your region’s scheduled closure.
License and Trap Registration
A valid recreational saltwater fishing license is required before you harvest blue crabs. It costs $17.00 annually for Florida residents and $47.00 for non-residents.1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Recreational Saltwater Licenses and Permits Children under 16 are exempt, and Florida residents can obtain a free shoreline-only license that covers crabbing from land or a structure fixed to shore.2Florida Legislature. Florida Code 379.354 – Recreational Licenses, Permits, and Authorization Numbers You have to carry the license on you whenever you are harvesting or in possession of crabs.
Traps come with an extra step. Anyone 16 or older who uses blue crab traps must complete FWC’s free online trap registration before putting a trap in the water, even if they are otherwise exempt from the fishing license. Registration issues five unique trap identification numbers, one for each of the five traps you’re allowed to fish, and each number must be permanently and legibly attached to its trap.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Blue Crab
Daily Limit and What You Can Keep
The recreational daily bag limit is 10 gallons of whole crabs per person, per day, regardless of the gear you use. There is no minimum size for recreational harvesters; the five-inch carapace minimum in Rule 68B-45.003 applies only to commercial crabbers.4Florida Administrative Code. Florida Administrative Code 68B-45.003 – Minimum Size Limits Keeping undersized crabs is legal, though releasing the small ones lets them reach reproductive age.
Egg-bearing females — those with eggs visibly attached to the underside — are off-limits under any circumstance. Release them immediately.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Blue Crab FWC also encourages releasing all female blue crabs. A female mates only once in her life and can produce up to five clutches of eggs from stored sperm, so removing one takes all of her future spawns with her.
Legal Gear
Traps get most of the attention, but Florida allows several other methods:
- Blue crab traps, maximum five per person
- Dip or landing nets
- Drop nets
- Fold-up traps
- Hook and line
- Push scrapes
- Trotlines
The alternatives matter during regional trap closures, when standard traps must be pulled but dip nets, fold-up traps, drop nets, and other legal gear can still be used.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Blue Crab
Trap Specifications
Every recreational trap must meet FWC’s construction standards:
- Maximum dimensions of 24 by 24 by 24 inches, or 8 cubic feet total volume
- Mesh size of 1½ inches or larger
- At least three unobstructed escape rings with a minimum inside diameter of 2⅜ inches, one on a vertical outer surface next to each crab-retaining chamber
- A throat no larger than 2 inches high by 6 inches wide at its narrowest point, made of rigid material, extending no more than 6 inches into the trap
Since March 2023, recreational traps must also carry a bycatch reduction device on the throat, or the throat itself must meet the current size and construction standards. The rule is meant to keep diamondback terrapins and other non-target animals out of the trap.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Blue Crab
Every trap needs a degradable panel or fastener so that a lost trap eventually opens and releases whatever’s inside. FWC accepts several construction methods, including a lid secured by a single loop of untreated jute twine, thin non-coated steel wire, or an untreated pine dowel, or a sidewall opening covered with jute twine, pine slats, or thin galvanized mesh.5Florida Administrative Code. Florida Administrative Code 68B-45.004 – Regulation and Prohibition of Certain Harvesting Gear
Marking the Trap and Buoy
Trap and buoy markings are different, and mixing them up is a common ticket. The trap itself must show your full name, your address, and your FWC-issued registration number, all permanently and legibly attached. The buoy needs a legible letter “R” at least two inches tall to identify it as recreational. Spherical buoys must be at least 6 inches across; other shapes must measure at least 10 inches in their longest dimension. No more than 5 feet of buoy line may float on the surface. A trap fished from a dock doesn’t need a buoy at all.5Florida Administrative Code. Florida Administrative Code 68B-45.004 – Regulation and Prohibition of Certain Harvesting Gear
Where Traps Can’t Go
You can’t place traps in the Intracoastal Waterway’s navigational channels, or in any channel maintained and marked by a county, municipal, state, or federal agency. Traps are also prohibited in federal waters, meaning more than nine nautical miles offshore in the Gulf and more than three in the Atlantic. Biscayne National Park has its own rules; check with park staff before crabbing there.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Blue Crab
Regional Trap Closures
Florida requires all blue crab traps to be pulled from the water during scheduled regional closures of up to 10 days. East coast zones close in even-numbered years; west coast zones close in odd-numbered years. FWC uses the windows to remove derelict traps.
Even-Year Closures (East Coast)
- St. Johns River system, from the Intracoastal Canal west through Lake Helen Blazes: January 16–25
- Georgia/Florida state line through Volusia County, excluding the St. Johns River system: August 20–29
- Brevard through Palm Beach counties, excluding the St. Johns River system: August 10–19
Odd-Year Closures (West Coast)
- Franklin County to the Florida/Alabama state line, excluding Ochlockonee River and Bay: January 5–14
- Broward through Pasco counties: July 10–19
- Hernando through Wakulla counties, including Ochlockonee River and Bay: July 20–29
Closures apply only to standard blue crab traps. Dip nets, fold-up traps, drop nets, and other legal gear stay in play, and traps attached to private property such as a dock are excluded. Any trap left in the water during a scheduled closure is subject to seizure.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Blue Crab
Penalties
Crabbing without a valid saltwater fishing license is a Level One violation. The civil penalty is $50 plus the cost of the license, and a county court judge can go up to $500 for repeat violations.6Florida House of Representatives. Florida Code 379.401 – Penalties and Violations Gear problems — unmarked traps, missing escape rings, traps left in the water during a closure — can lead to immediate removal and seizure of the equipment. Egg-bearing females in your catch or exceeding the 10-gallon daily limit can bring additional citations. The most common tickets FWC writes are for unregistered traps and missing identification markings.