Marine Fisheries Permits
General Statue 15A NCAC 3O .0501 sets up the framework for all permits. These rules establish a uniform application process for permits and establish general conditions that apply to all permits, as well as specific conditions respective to each permit. The rules also establish the revocation/suspension process. Permits allow holders to use certain gears, equipment, or partake in specialized activities.
A list of permits and the location where each permit application is available is below.
Allows for the collecting of protected or out-of-season marine and estuarine species for aquaculture purposes.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available for this permit upon request. Please contact Zach Harrison at Zach.Harrison@deq.nc.gov or 252-515-5485 if you would like to obtain an application.
Allows for the propagation of marine or estuarine resources from permitted sources for rearing in a controlled environment, while protecting the state’s natural resources from disease, gene mixing, and over competition. A controlled environment provides and maintains throughout the rearing process one or more of the following: (i) food; (ii) predator protection; (iii) salinity; (iv) temperature controls; or (v) water circulation, utilizing technology not found in the natural environment.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
Required to move any seed from restricted or prohibited waters. Seed size for oysters up to 25mm and up to 12.5 mm for clams. This is a biannual reviewable permit that runs from January 1 to June 30 and July 1 to December 31. Permit holders can apply at any time during the year.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
Allows an individual to harvest striped bass from the Atlantic Ocean by gill net, trawl or beach seine.
Permit Coordinator: Charlton Godwin
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
Application for Atlantic Ocean Striped Bass Commercial Gear Permit
Authorizes and identifies shedding operations possessing more than 50 crabs at any time.
Permit Coordinator: Robert Corbett
Fee: None
Issuing Offices: Manteo, Morehead City, Washington, Wilmington
Allows individuals and organizations serving certain groups (e.g., individuals with physical/mental limitations, disadvantaged youth, etc.) the ability to conduct recreational fishing events without each participant obtaining a CRFL.
Permit Coordinator: Stacy Tripp
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
Application for Coastal Recreational Fishing License Exemption Permit
Allows licensed NC clam or oyster dealers to take clams or oysters from public or private prohibited waters for depurating purposes.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available for this permit upon request. Please contact Zach Harrison at Zach.Harrison@deq.nc.gov or 252-515-5485 if you would like to obtain an application.
Allows licensed fish dealers to purchase flounder landing in estuarine waters from licensed fishermen. Subdivided into 5 management areas by gear and region: Northern Pound Net, Central Pound Net, Southern Pound Net, Northern Mobile Gears, Southern Mobile Gears. Dealers can select one or multiple areas on their permit.
Permit Coordinator: Josh Beil
Fee: None
Issuing Offices: Manteo, Morehead City, Washington, Wilmington
Allows the use of anchored gill nets in coastal waters for either commercial or recreational purposes.
Permit Coordinator: Barbie Byrd
Fee: None
Issuing Locations: Manteo, Morehead City, Washington, Wilmington
Allows the mechanical harvest of Rangia (freshwater clams) from the upper reaches of designated estuaries.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available for this permit upon request. Please contact Zach Harrison at Zach.Harrison@deq.nc.gov or 252-515-5485 if you would like to obtain an application.
Allows the use of horseshoe crabs taken from NC joint or coastal waters for biomedical purposes.
Permit Coordinator: Tina Moore
Fee: None
Issuing Location: Morehead City
An application for this permit is available upon request. Please contact the Fisheries Management Horseshoe Crab Lead Biologist for more details if you would like to obtain an application package.
Needed for the introduction into coastal waters of living marine or estuarine organisms not native to North Carolina; transfer of marine or estuarine organisms which are native, but which originated outside the state's boundaries; holding or maintaining any imported marine or estuarine organisms in a quarantine or isolation system for brood stock, aquaculture, or bait; or selling for bait any live marine or estuarine organism imported into the state. Testing is required prior to issuance of permit. Each batch must be tested within 30 days of shipment to North Carolina. Each test will consist of a minimum of 60 organisms.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
Allows the use of mechanical harvest methods on shellfish leases not located within a primary nursery area. This is an annual reviewable permit that runs July 1 to June 30. Leaseholders may apply for a permit at any time during the year.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
Fishery is closed unless opened by proclamation. This permit allows traditional large mesh gill net fisheries for striped bass and monkfish to be conducted in state waters while reducing the threat of interactions between this gear and bottlenose dolphins, other marine mammals, and sea turtles.
Permit Coordinator: Lorena de la Garza
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Manteo, Morehead City, Washington, Wilmington
Provides the opportunity to relay of clams and oyster out of specific polluted areas to leases, with Marine Patrol coordination.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available for this permit upon request. Please contact Zach Harrison at Zach.Harrison@deq.nc.gov or 252-515-5485 if you would like to obtain an application.
Allows for the use of a pound net or any part of one in Joint or Coastal Fishing Waters of North Carolina.
Permit Coordinator: Lynn Ewart
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available upon request. Please contact the Fisheries Management Permit Coordinator at 252-515-5535 or email Pound.Nets@deq.nc.gov for an application package.
Dealer Permits for Monitoring Fisheries under a Quota: Striped Bass Dealer Permit, Atlantic Ocean Flounder Dealer Permit, Spiny Dogfish Dealer Permit, Black Sea Bass – North of Cape Hatteras Dealer Permit. These permits can only be acquired if a Fish Dealer License has been obtained by the commercial seafood dealer.
Permit Coordinator: Josh Beil
Fee: None
Issuing Offices: Manteo, Morehead City, Washington, Wilmington
Application for Quota Monitoring Dealer Permits
Black Sea Bass North of Cape Hatteras Dealer Permit
Allows a licensed fish dealer to purchase Black Sea Bass caught in excess of 100 pounds per day per commercial fishing operation, from a licensed commercial fisherman. Only required for fish caught in the ocean between Cape Hatteras and the VA state line.
Flounder Dealer Permit (Atlantic Ocean)
Allows a licensed fish dealer to purchase flounder caught in excess of 100 pounds per day per commercial fishing operation, harvested by trawl in the Atlantic ocean, from a licensed commercial fisherman.
Spiny Dogfish Dealer Permit
Allows licensed dealers to purchase greater than 100 pounds of spiny dogfish per day per commercial fishing operation.
Striped Bass Dealer Permit
Allows licensed fish dealers to purchase striped bass from licensed fishermen. Subdivided into 3 management areas: Albemarle Sound Management Area, Central-Southern Management Area, and Atlantic Ocean. Dealers can select one or multiple areas on their permit.
Allows for the collection of regulated fisheries resources for scientific and educational use by educational institutions, scientific institutions, and nongovernmental conservation organizations.
Permit Coordinator: Lynn Ewart
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available upon request. Please contact the Fisheries Management Permit Coordinator at 252-515-5535 or email SEAP@deq.nc.gov for an application package.
Allows the transportation of oysters or other shellfish for restoration purposes not related to human consumption from an individual’s shellfish lease or franchise to restoration sites. All shellfish lease and franchise activities shall adhere to all Shellfish Sanitation requirements including the most current proclamations until time of transportation of the shellfish for restoration purposes. It is unlawful to use shellfish cultivated on a shellfish lease or franchise for restoration purposes without possessing a Shellfish Lease Restoration Permit issued by the Division of Marine Fisheries.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available for this permit upon request. Please contact Zach Harrison at Zach.Harrison@deq.nc.gov or 252-515-5485 if you would like to obtain an application.
Allows CAMA permitted development projects to transport shellfish from an area where they would otherwise be destroyed to an approved receiving site.
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available for this permit upon request. Please contact Zach Harrison at Zach.Harrison@deq.nc.gov or 252-515-5485 if you would like to obtain an application.
Compliance with sanitation requirements for wholesale marketing, processing and handling of crustacea meat (e.g., Crabs, Shrimp).
Permit Coordinator: Shawn Nelson
Fee: None
Issuing Locations: Manteo, Morehead City, Wilmington
Compliance with sanitation requirements for wholesale marketing, processing and handling of shellfish (e.g., Oysters, Clams and Mussels).
Permit Coordinator: Shawn Nelson
Fee: None
Issuing Locations: Manteo, Morehead City, Wilmington
Provides the opportunity to relay oysters out of Seed Oyster Management Areas (SOMA) to shellfish leases between April and October.
Seed Oyster Management Area (SOMA) Maps and Description (15A NCAC 03R .0116 – DESIGNATED SEED OYSTER MANAGEMENT AREAS)
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
Allows a dock owner to attach oyster cultivation containers under his dock, following specific permit conditions, to grow oysters for personal consumption. The dock or pier cannot be located in an area closed to shellfish harvest. Owner must satisfy training requirements established by the Marine Fisheries Commission prior to issuance of permit. Reporting requirements must be met yearly. Sale of oysters is prohibited.
N.C. Under Dock Oyster Culture Manual
Under Dock Oyster Culture Permit Test
Permit Coordinator: Zach Harrison
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available for this permit upon request. Please contact Zach Harrison at Zach.Harrison@deq.nc.gov or 252-515-5485 if you would like to obtain an application.
Permits and identifies fishermen taking live shrimp for bait with trawls, from areas open to the harvest of shrimp with trawls, from Friday 9:00 p.m. through Saturday 12:00 p.m. (noon).
Permit Coordinator: Lynn Ewart
Fee: None
Issuing Office: Morehead City
An application is available upon request. Please contact the Fisheries Management Permit Coordinator at 252-515-5535 or email WTLS@deq.nc.gov for an application package.