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Oyster regulations in New York

Clams & oysters · Shellfish & crabs · 2026 season

Oyster size limit, season and daily limit

Notes

• Town permit usually required.

Exact NYSDEC wording

Season

Open year-round from certified areas

Size

3 inches across the longest diameter

Limit

1/2 bushel per day (clams, oysters and mussels together may not exceed 1 bushel per day)

NY certified shellfish areas — as printed

“Oyster — at least 3 inches across the longest diameter; recreational limit 1/2 bushel. Oysters may be taken all year from areas open to shellfishing.”

Source: NYSDEC, captured 2026-10-04 (2026 season).

More clams & oysters

About the oyster

Species of bivalve

The eastern oyster —also called the Atlantic oyster, American oyster, or East Coast oyster—is a species of true oyster native to eastern North and South America. Other names in local or culinary use include the Wellfleet oyster, Virginia oyster, Malpeque oyster, Blue Point oyster, Chesapeake Bay oyster, and Apalachicola oyster. C. virginica ranges from northern New Brunswick south through parts of the West Indies to Venezuela. It is farmed in all of the Maritime provinces of Canada and all Eastern Seaboard and Gulf states of the United States, as well as Puget Sound, Washington, where it is known as the Totten Inlet Virginica. It was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the 19th century and is common in Pearl Harbor.

Read more about Eastern oyster on Wikipedia →

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NYSDEC, not Wikipedia.

All 48 New York species A–Z →

Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Oyster in New York?

3 inch minimum in New York state waters.

How many Oyster can you keep per day in New York?

½ bushel per day.

When is Oyster season in New York?

Open year-round.

Is my Oyster a keeper today?

A oyster is a keeper today if it measures at least 3 inches, with ½ bushel per day.