Sharks — Prohibited species regulations in New Jersey

Sharks · Saltwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Sharks — Prohibited species is closed to harvest. Release it.

Sharks — Prohibited species size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
NJ marine waters	Closed to harvest	—	—

Notes

Release immediately in the water — do not bring ashore or pose for photos (federal violation).
Sandbar and sand tiger are common NJ catches and are on this list.

Exact NJDEP Fish & Wildlife wording

Season: Possession prohibited
Size: None
Limit: 0 — zero allowed possession
NJ marine waters — as printed: “Shark Species That MUST Be Released (Prohibited Species): Atlantic angel, basking, bigeye sand tiger, bigeye sixgill, bigeye thresher, bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, dusky, Galapagos, longfin mako, narrowtooth, night, oceanic whitetip, sandbar, sand tiger, sevengill, silky, sixgill, smalltail, whale and white. ... Prohibited sharks: Zero allowed possession”

Source: NJDEP Fish & Wildlife, captured 2026-10-04 (2026 season).

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More sharks

Sharks — Aggregated Large Coastal group Sharks — Hammerhead group Sharks — Non-Blacknose Small Coastal group Blacknose Shark Sharks — Pelagic group Smoothhound Shark Shortfin Mako

About the sharks — prohibited species

Species of shark

The dusky shark is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, occurring in tropical and warm-temperate continental seas worldwide. A generalist apex predator, the dusky shark can be found from the coast to the outer continental shelf and adjacent pelagic waters, and has been recorded from a depth of 400 m (1,300 ft). Populations migrate seasonally towards the poles in the summer and towards the equator in the winter, traveling hundreds to thousands of kilometers. One of the largest members of its genus, the dusky shark reaches more than 4 m (13 ft) in length and 350 kg (770 lb) in weight. It has a slender, streamlined body and can be identified by its short round snout, long sickle-shaped pectoral fins, ridge between the first and second dorsal fins, and faintly marked fins.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NJDEP Fish & Wildlife, not Wikipedia.

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Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Sharks — Prohibited species in New Jersey?

No size limit in New Jersey state waters.

How many Sharks — Prohibited species can you keep per day in New Jersey?

Possession prohibited.

When is Sharks — Prohibited species season in New Jersey?

Open year-round.

Is my Sharks — Prohibited species a keeper today?

Sharks — Prohibited species is closed to harvest. Release it.