Sharks (coastal species) regulations in Virginia

· Saltwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Not yet converted to a keeper check. As printed: season Season Closed May 15 - July 15; size Minimum Size Limit: 54 inches fork length; hammerhead sharks 78 inches FL or greater; no minimum for Atlantic Sharpnose, Bonnethead, Blacknose, and Finetooth; limit 1 per vessel (Atlantic Sharpnose and Bonnethead: 1 per person). Read the exact wording below.

Sharks (coastal species) size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
statewide	Season Closed May 15 - July 15	Minimum Size Limit: 54 inches fork length; hammerhead sharks 78 inches FL or greater; no minimum for Atlantic Sharpnose, Bonnethead, Blacknose, and Finetooth	1 per vessel (Atlantic Sharpnose and Bonnethead: 1 per person)

Notes

A 2026-10-31 check against the official source found a discrepancy in this species' overlay and season and size (mako footnote) and notes. Read the official wording before keeping the fish: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title4/agency20/chapter490/section40/

Exact Virginia Marine Resources Commission wording

Season: Season Closed May 15 - July 15
Size: Minimum Size Limit: 54 inches fork length; hammerhead sharks 78 inches FL or greater; no minimum for Atlantic Sharpnose, Bonnethead, Blacknose, and Finetooth
Limit: 1 per vessel (Atlantic Sharpnose and Bonnethead: 1 per person)
statewide — as printed: “SHARKS (All species except smooth and spiny dog sharks) Minimum Size Limit: 54 inches fork length ** Possession Limit: 1 per vessel *** … Season Closed May 15 - July 15”

Source: Virginia Marine Resources Commission, captured 2026-09-21 (2026 season).

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About the sharks

Predatory cartilaginous fishes

Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fishes characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the division Selachii and are the sister group to the Batomorphi. Some sources extend the term "shark" as an informal category including extinct members of Chondrichthyes with a shark-like morphology, such as hybodonts. Shark-like chondrichthyans such as Cladoselache and Doliodus first appeared in the Devonian Period, though some fossilized chondrichthyan-like scales are as old as the Late Ordovician. The earliest confirmed modern sharks (Selachii) are known from the Early Jurassic around 200 million years ago, with the oldest known member being Agaleus, though records of true sharks may extend back as far as the Permian.

Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Sharks (coastal species) in Virginia?

Minimum Size Limit: 54 inches fork length; hammerhead sharks 78 inches FL or greater; no minimum for Atlantic Sharpnose, Bonnethead, Blacknose, and Finetooth in Virginia state waters.

How many Sharks (coastal species) can you keep per day in Virginia?

1 per vessel (Atlantic Sharpnose and Bonnethead: 1 per person).

When is Sharks (coastal species) season in Virginia?

Open year-round.

Is my Sharks (coastal species) a keeper today?

Not yet converted to a keeper check. As printed: season Season Closed May 15 - July 15; size Minimum Size Limit: 54 inches fork length; hammerhead sharks 78 inches FL or greater; no minimum for Atlantic Sharpnose, Bonnethead, Blacknose, and Finetooth; limit 1 per vessel (Atlantic Sharpnose and Bonnethead: 1 per person). Read the exact wording below.