Verified against each state's current regulation text, September 2026. Rules change every season. The state pages linked below cite the regulation section for every number. Confirm with your state agency before you set gear.
Every coastal state that manages blue crab handles escape rings differently, and the differences are not small. A ring that is legal in one state is undersized in the next. Here is what every blue crab state from New York to Texas requires, and which of our parts fits.
Cull ring requirements at a glance
| Water | Rings | Inside diameter | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | Not required; 6" x 4" escape vent on commercial pots, TEDs in creeks and harbors | — |
| New Jersey | 0 | Not required; biodegradable panel and terrapin excluder instead | — |
| Delaware | 0 | Not required | — |
| Maryland, Chesapeake Bay & tributaries | 2 | One at least 2-3/16", one at least 2-5/16" | Exterior side panels or top panel |
| Maryland, coastal bays (Worcester Co.) | 2 | Both 2-5/16" | One upper side panel, one lower compartment |
| Virginia, Bay & tributaries | 2 | Both at least 2-3/8" | Opposite exterior side panels, upper chamber |
| Virginia, seaside (Accomack & Northampton) | 2 | One at least 2-5/16", one at least 2-3/16" | Opposite exterior side panels, upper chamber |
| North Carolina | 3 | All at least 2-5/16" | Two on opposite outside panels of upper chamber; one within a mesh of the divider corner |
| South Carolina | 2 (1 if single chamber) | All at least 2-3/8" | Vertical surfaces; at least one in upper chamber; within 2" of partition or base |
| Georgia | 2 | Both 2-3/8" | Outside vertical wall; not floor or ceiling |
| Florida | 3 | All at least 2-3/8" | One on a vertical outer surface adjacent to each chamber; plus degradable panel |
| Alabama | 2 | Both at least 2-5/16" | Vertical surface, one per chamber |
| Mississippi | 2 | Both at least 2-3/8" | Vertical outside walls, one per chamber |
| Louisiana | 3 | All at least 2-3/8" | Two upper flush with baffle, one lower within a mesh of floor; all within a mesh of a corner |
| Texas | 2 per chamber | All at least 2-3/8" | Outside walls of each chamber; plus degradable panel |
Peeler pots with fine mesh are exempt in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia. Louisiana exempts traps built of 2-5/16" square mesh or larger. Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana allow rings to be obstructed during defined peeler seasons, Alabama by permit.
Two ring sizes cover the whole coast
Every ring rule from New York to Texas comes down to two diameters:
- 2-5/16": Maryland (the larger ring), Maryland coastal bays, Virginia seaside, North Carolina, Alabama
- 2-3/8": Virginia Bay and tributaries, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas
Maryland Bay and Virginia seaside pots also need a 2-3/16" as the smaller ring. New York, New Jersey and Delaware require no ring at all.
Which ring fits where
Our 2-5/16" cull ring is the correct part for Maryland Chesapeake Bay (larger ring), Maryland coastal bays (both), Virginia seaside (larger ring), North Carolina (all three), and Alabama (both).
It is not the right part for Virginia Bay water, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, or Texas. All seven require 2-3/8". A 2-5/16" ring is a sixteenth undersized in that water; do not rig with it there.
We are cutting tooling for additional sizes as watermen ask. If you fish 2-3/8" water, tell us how many pots; that is how we decide what comes next.
Hard crab minimum sizes
| State | Hard crab | Peeler | Soft |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 4-1/2" | 3" | 3-1/2" |
| New Jersey | 4-1/2" | 3" | 3-1/2" |
| Delaware | 5" | 3" | 3-1/2" |
| Maryland | 5" Apr 1 to Jul 14, then 5-1/4" | 3-1/4" Apr 1 to Jul 14, then 3-1/2" | 3-1/2" |
| Virginia | 5" | 3-1/4" through Jul 15, then 3-1/2" (seaside stays 3-1/4") | 3-1/2" |
| North Carolina | 5" (immature females prohibited) | — | — |
| South Carolina | 5" | — | — |
| Georgia | 5" | 3" | — |
| Florida | 5" commercial; none recreational | — | — |
| Alabama | 5" | — | — |
| Mississippi | 5" | None | None |
| Louisiana | 5" commercial; none recreational | — | — |
| Texas | 5" | — | — |
All measured point to point across the shell. Mature females are exempt from the hard crab minimum in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Georgia. Our aluminum cull stick is cut at 5-1/4" for Maryland's July 15 step-up; ask for a 5" cut for the rest of the coast, or 4-1/2" for New York and New Jersey.
Why a molder is writing this
We mold cull rings and door hooks in Baltimore. Selling a ring as "legal" without saying where is how watermen end up with a boat full of undersized pots. We would rather you know exactly which water our parts are right for, and which they are not.