Natural Resources - Crabs - Requirements and Prohibited Acts

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1412*

HOUSE BILL 1412
M2 6lr1991

By: Delegate Hornberger
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Natural Resources – Crabs – Requirements and Prohibited Acts 2

FOR the purpose of prohibiting certain persons who are licensed to catch crabs from selling 3
cooked hard or soft crabs or crab meat harvested by the license ho lder; prohibiting 4
seafood dealers and mobile seafood vendors from purchasing cooked hard or soft 5
crabs or crab meat from certain persons who are licensed to catch crabs; requiring a 6
mobile seafood vendor to obtain a seafood dealer license ; requiring seafood dealers 7
and mobile seafood vendor s to comply with applicable Maryland Department of 8
Health requirements ; and generally relating to requirements and prohibited acts 9
applicable to crabs. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Natural Resources 12
Section 4–807 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Natural Resources 18

4–807. 19

(a) (1) Any person desiring to engage in the business of picking, canning, or 20
packing crabs, except a person picking and selling crab meat for local family trade, first 21
shall obtain a license. “Local family trade” means the selling of picked crab meat directly 22
to the consumer by the picker, with the meat being picked entirely from crabs harvested by 23
the picker or family of the picker. Nothing in this [section] SUBSECTION exempts persons 24
2 HOUSE BILL 1412

engaged in picking, canning, or packing crabs from the applicable Maryland Depa rtment 1
of Health requirements. 2

[(b)] (2) This [section] SUBSECTION does not require any person licensed to 3
catch crabs to obtain a license to sell the crabs caught or require a license for retail crab 4
sellers who purchase crabs from a person licensed under this [section] SUBSECTION. 5

(B) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION , “MOBILE SEAFOOD VENDOR ” MEANS A 6
PERSON WHO SELLS OR OFFERS FOR SALE ANY SEAFOOD: 7

(I) WHILE OUTDOORS ON FOOT; 8

(II) FROM ANY VEHICLE OR C ONVEYANCE, WHETHER OR NOT 9
THE VEHICLE OR CONVEYANCE IS IN OPERATING CONDITION; OR 10

(III) FROM ANY TENT , TEMPORARY STAND , ROADSIDE STAND , 11
ROADSIDE MARKET , OR OTHER VENUE THAT IS NOT AN ESTAB LISHED PLACE OF 12
BUSINESS. 13

(2) A PERSON WHO IS LICENS ED TO CATCH CRABS AN D DOES NOT 14
HOLD A SEAFOOD DEALE R LICENSE MAY NOT SELL COOKED HARD OR SOFT CRABS 15
OR CRAB MEAT HARVESTED BY THE LICENSE HOLDER. 16

(3) A MOBILE SEAFOOD VENDOR: 17

(I) SHALL OBTAIN A SEAFOOD DEALER LICENSE; 18

(II) MAY NOT PURCHASE COOK ED HARD OR SOFT CRAB S OR 19
CRAB MEAT FROM A PER SON LICENSED TO CATCH CRABS WHO DOES NOT HOLD A 20
SEAFOOD DEALER LICENSE; AND 21

(III) SHALL COMPLY WITH APP LICABLE MARYLAND 22
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REQUIREMENTS. 23

(4) A SEAFOOD DEALER: 24

(I) MAY NOT PURCHASE COOKED HARD OR SOFT CRABS OR 25
CRAB MEAT FROM A PERSON LICENSED TO CATCH CRABS WHO DOES NOT HOLD A 26
SEAFOOD DEALER LICENSE; AND 27

(II) SHALL COMPLY WITH APP LICABLE MARYLAND 28
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REQUIREMENTS. 29

HOUSE BILL 1412 3

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 1
1, 2026. 2