Permits

Regulations & Permits

A town-by-town directory of clamming permits, costs, and restrictions across Long Island.

(Unfathomable That Things Had To Be Regulated)

Historic Great South Bay clamming fleet beneath the Robert Moses Causeway

Islip

Resident

$20

Non-Resident

$50

Daily limit 100 clams. Seasonal closures in select zones.

Brookhaven

Resident

$25

Non-Resident

$75

Residents only in certain areas. Size limits enforced.

Babylon

Resident

$15

Non-Resident

$40

Must display permit on person. Dawn-to-dusk only.

Southampton

Resident

$30

Non-Resident

$100

Recreational only. No commercial harvesting without separate license.

East Hampton

Resident

$35

Non-Resident

$125

Strict catch limits. Some areas require additional marine permit.

Huntington

Resident

$20

Non-Resident

$60

Permit available at Town Clerk. Valid calendar year.

Oyster Bay

Resident

$10

Non-Resident

$55

Hempstead Harbor restricted. Check town website for open beds.

Riverhead

Resident

$25

Non-Resident

$75

Peconic Estuary zones only. Seasonal restrictions apply.

Southold

Resident

$25

Non-Resident

$75

North Fork waters. Must show ID with town address.

Important Note

Permit costs and regulations change annually. Always verify with your town clerk's office before heading out. A New York State Marine & Coastal District Recreational Permit is also required in addition to town permits.

Aquaculture Leasing

How Long Island's Shellfish Industry Gets Its Footing

Recreational permits cover the wading clammer — but commercial growers operate under a very different framework. Two municipal programs, plus a Cornell-led training pipeline, shape nearly every working oyster and clam farm on Long Island today.

Commercial Leases

Suffolk County Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Program (SCALP)

Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning

The backbone of commercial oyster and clam farming on the East End. SCALP administers underwater lease parcels across a designated Shellfish Cultivation Zone of more than 22,000 acres in Peconic Bay and Gardiners Bay — the framework most modern North Fork farms operate under.

  • •Lease parcels averaging ~10 acres
  • •Standard 10-year lease terms
  • •Oyster farming, clam cultivation & off-bottom cage culture
  • •Active in Southold, Riverhead, Shelter Island & East Hampton waters
Visit the SCALP program page →

Hatchery & Restoration

Town of Islip Shellfish Cultivation Facility

Town of Islip — Environmental Control

More marine economic-development engine than lease program — Islip's facility is a working hatchery and nursery producing oyster seed, clam seed, and seaweed products that supply commercial growers and fuel water-quality restoration across the Great South Bay.

  • •Hatchery & nursery operations
  • •Oyster seed, clam seed & seaweed production
  • •Supports Great South Bay restoration
  • •The most locally relevant program for South Shore residents
Visit the Town of Islip Shellfish Facility →

Training & Research

Cornell Cooperative Extension — Suffolk County Marine Program

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County

Not a municipal lease program, but the connective tissue of Long Island aquaculture. CCE runs SPAT (Southold Project in Aquaculture Training), shellfish and bay scallop restoration, and hatchery operations — typically the first entry point for anyone trying to break into oyster farming on Long Island.

  • •SPAT aquaculture training
  • •Shellfish & bay scallop restoration
  • •Hatchery operations & research
  • •Pathway into the commercial industry
Visit the CCE Marine Program →

The Real Bottleneck

Demand for Long Island oysters is exceptionally strong. The constraints on the industry are lease availability, permitting, waterfront access, and capital for gear and boats — not buyers. That dynamic leaves real room for adjacent businesses: hatchery supply, marine equipment, municipal restoration contracts, aquaculture tourism, and floating raw-bar concepts built around the farms themselves.