The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DOAG) Bureau of Aquaculture manages license applications and renewals for the Shellstock Shipper I license. Get more information on how to apply for the Shellstock Shipper I license, including requirements, application, regulations, and more below.
License information
All commercial harvesters, producers, or shippers of shellfish to obtain a license from the Department of Agriculture (DOAG) Bureau of Aquaculture, according to Connecticut General Statute Section 26-192c. This license is required for operations that grow, harvest for market from “Approved or Conditionally Approved Open Areas,” buy, or sell shellstock.
- While a Shellstock Shipper I license allows the company to ship shucked shellfish in the original container, the licensee is not authorized to shuck shellfish nor repack shucked shellfish. A Shellstock Shipper III license is required for those activities.
Licenses are valid for one year (July 1-June 30), are not transferrable, and must be renewed annually. Licenses must be available and presented when requested by the DOAG or Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) enforcement officers.
Please be aware there may be other permits needed for an Aquaculture business. Individuals must become HACCP certified and pass a DoAg inspection.
All shellfish companies are responsible for monitoring and adhering to current shellfish bed division boundaries. Statewide classifications and bed division boundaries are routinely updated on the CT Shellfish Map.
This license is used for either long term relay-transplant operations (including a minimum six months or greater for seed oysters from Prohibited areas) or short term relay operations (including a minimum of 14 days or greater with a water temperature of >50oF) where the shellfish (oysters or clams) originated from areas classified as Restricted Relay or better. The Shellstock Shipper I license will be updated to track relay activities; an acceptable meat sample from the transplant lot is required before market harvest is permitted.
All harvesters must submit a Relay Link for each vessel every day they work. They must also have an operational Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) on all boats. The licensee must immediately report any vessel with a non-operational VMS unit to DOAG. DOAG may revoke the license of any individual or boat that does not comply with the VMS requirement.
The full list of regulations is outlined in the Shellstock Shipper I License Application.
Application
Shellstock Shipper I license application (PDF, updated June 5, 2024)
- The short version of the application has been discontinued.
