SlotGaugeCheck a catchProhibited Sharks regulations in North Carolina
Sharks · Saltwater · 2026 season
Prohibited Sharks size limit, season and daily limit
| Where | Season | Size limit | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC coastal and joint waters (to 3 mi) | Closed to harvest | — | — |
Notes
- These 23 shark species must be released immediately. Shortfin mako and sandbar are the ones anglers most often confuse with legal species.
- Federal HMS Angling permit required for sharks in state or federal waters (hmspermits.noaa.gov). No sharks may be possessed in WRC inland fishing waters.
Exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording
- Season
- Possession prohibited
- Size
- Possession prohibited
- Limit
- Possession prohibited
- NC coastal and joint waters (to 3 mi) — as printed
- “Sharks: whale, basking, white, sand tiger, bigeye sand tiger, Atlantic angel shark, bigeye sixgill, bigeye thresher, bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, dusky, Galapagos, longfin mako, oceanic whitetip, shortfin mako, narrowtooth, night, sandbar, silky, sevengill, sixgill, and smalltail.”
Source: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, captured 2026-09-29 (2026 season).
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About the prohibited sharks
Species of large lamniform shark
The great white shark, also known as the white shark, white pointer, or great white, is a large shark. It is closely related to the mako sharks, the porbeagle, and the salmon shark. It is a robustly built species with a grayish upperside and a white underside. The white shark is one of the largest living shark and fish species, though it is still smaller than the whale shark and basking shark. It has about 300 triangular, serrated teeth that are continuously replaced. Its massive, fatty liver can reach over a quarter of its body weight, providing buoyancy and storing energy. The species is partially warm-blooded, an adaptation that allows it to remain active in colder waters.
Read more about Great white shark on Wikipedia →
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NC Division of Marine Fisheries, not Wikipedia.
All 120 North Carolina species A–Z →
Frequently asked
What is the size limit for Prohibited Sharks in North Carolina?
No size limit in North Carolina state waters.
How many Prohibited Sharks can you keep per day in North Carolina?
Possession prohibited.
When is Prohibited Sharks season in North Carolina?
Open year-round.
Is my Prohibited Sharks a keeper today?
Prohibited Sharks is closed to harvest. Release it.