• Crabbing regulations vary by state to help protect the species.crab image by Vaclav Janousek from Fotolia.com
  
  There are no federal laws or regulations in place that address catching crabs. Those responsibilities were left up to individual states. Due to crabs' availability that favors coastal parts of the country, the majority of U.S. states don't have concrete regulations in place. For the few states with the most widespread crab availability, this differs tremendously. As a result, Alaska, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, and other states have stringent crab regulations.
  
  

Stone Crab

• Stone crabs, most prevalent in Florida, have several regulations and laws in place to protect them. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission places a limit on the stone crab's claws specifically. The claws must reach a measurement of at least 2 3/4 inches long, and cannot be collected from pregnant female crabs. All individuals are limited to 1 gallon of claws per hunting trip, and a single boat is limited to 2 gallons of claws, regardless of the number of individuals on board. Hunting must only occur during the season for stone crab, which is Oct. 15 to May 14. Stone crabs must also not be injured by sharp objects in the process of capture. Hunters also need a license to catch stone crabs.
  
  

Blue Crab

• Blue crabs, which are abundant in Maryland, also have significant laws in place to protect them. There are daily catch limits for blue crabs in order to keep their population stabilized. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources delegates either two dozen soft blue crabs or 2 buckets of blue crabs for people hunting on a boat. People who are fishing on land can catch one bucket, or two dozen blue crabs. Females carrying eggs cannot be captured, and must be put back into the water. There are also size restrictions on blue crabs. Those smaller than 5 inches across the back must be put back at all times. You also must obtain a license to catch blue crabs, and follow the laws in place.
  
  

Dungeness Crab

• The Dungeness crab, found mostly in Oregon, is also regulated in order to preserve the population. You are allowed to capture only a dozen Dungeness crabs a day per person. The legal size for keeping a Dungeness crab is 5 3/4 across its back. Much like the stone and blue crabs, it is unlawful to capture a pregnant female crab. Holding on to an undersized or pregnant crab results in a hefty fine, with the price determined on the size of the crab and the amount of eggs the female is holding. Oregon, like the other states, requires you to have a license to catch shellfish.