Obtaining a Commercial Shellfish License

On the Atlantic Coast and within the Delaware Bay’s Aquaculture Development Zone (ADZ), a commercial shellfish license is required prior to applying for a shellfish lease for the commercial harvest, collection, or culture of shellfish. On the Delaware Bay, a license is not required prior to applying for a lease, but a license is required for the harvest and sale of product. Please reach out to the Delaware Bay Bureau of Marine Habitat and Shellfisheries Office for more information on the various license options based on aquaculture activity.

  • In order to apply for a commercial shellfish license the Shellfish Harvester Training course as outlined in Step 2 must be complete.
  • At the end of the training video, there is a yellow bar that must be clicked in order to input your information and receive an email confirmation that you took the course.
  • When you click the yellow bar, it will prompt you to input several fields of information, the most important being a valid email address.
  • If you do not input a valid email address, you will not receive confirmation that you completed the course.

Once you have completed the Shellfish Harvester Training course and received your email confirmation, you may purchase a commercial shellfish license.

  • A license can be purchased at either Bureau of Marine Habitat and Shellfisheries office, certified license vendors or online.
  • The cost of a commercial shellfish license for New Jersey residents is $50.00.
  • The cost of a commercial shellfish license for non-residents is $250.00.