A. It is unlawful to possess vermilion snapper less than 12 inches total length.

B. It is unlawful to possess more than 500 pounds (gutted weight) of vermilion snapper per trip.

VIII. Hogfish (hog snapper)

A. It is unlawful to possess hogfish less than 17 inches fork length.

B. It is unlawful to possess more than 500 pounds (whole weight) of hogfish per trip.

IX. Mutton Snapper

A. It is unlawful to possess mutton snapper less than 18 inches total length.

B. It is unlawful to possess more than 500 pounds (whole weight) of mutton snapper per trip from January 1 through March 31 and from July 1 through December 31.

C. It is unlawful to possess more than five (5) mutton snapper per person per day, or five (5) mutton snapper per person per trip, whichever is more restrictive, from April 1 through June 30.

X. Other Snappers

A. It is unlawful to possess silk snapper, blackfin snapper, yellowtail snapper, cubera snapper, queen snapper and gray snapper less than 12 inches total length.

B. It is unlawful to possess lane snapper less than 8 inches total length.

XI. Red Porgy

A. It is unlawful to possess red porgy less than 14 inches total length.

B. It is unlawful to sell or offer for sale red porgy taken from waters under the jurisdiction of North Carolina or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council from January 1 through April 30 of each year.

C. It is unlawful to possess more than 120 individual red porgy per vessel per trip from May 1 through December 31.

XII. Other Porgies
The Porgies Complex includes scup (south of Cape Hatteras only, 35° 15.0321’ N. Latitude), whitebone porgy, jolthead porgy, knobbed porgy, and saucereye porgy. The season is open with no commercial size limits (except as in accordance with N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03M .0103) or trip limits.

XIII. Golden Tilefish
It is unlawful to possess golden tilefish taken from waters under the jurisdiction of North Carolina or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The fishery will re-open January 1, 2020.

XIV. Blueline Tilefish
It is unlawful to sell or offer for sale blueline tilefish taken from waters under the jurisdiction of North Carolina or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The fishery will re-open January 1, 2020.

XV. Gray Triggerfish
It is unlawful to sell or offer for sale gray triggerfish taken from waters under the jurisdiction of North Carolina or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The fishery will re-open January 1, 2020.

XVI. Harvest Restrictions

A. It is unlawful to use or have on board a vessel fish traps for taking snappers and groupers except sea bass pots as allowed in Section XV.B below.

B. South of Cape Hatteras it is unlawful to take black sea bass with pots that fail to conform with the federal rule requirements for configuration, mesh sizes, degradable materials, and escape panels as specified in 50 CFR Part §622.189(b) through (d), and identification requirements as specified in 50 CFR Part §622.177(a).

C. It is unlawful to possess any species of the Snapper Grouper complex except snowy grouper, yellowedge grouper, misty grouper, blueline tilefish, golden tilefish and sand tilefish while having longline gear aboard a vessel during open harvest seasons.

D. It is unlawful to fail to use dehooking tools in the snapper grouper fisheries when the fish is to be released.

E. It is unlawful to fail to use non-stainless steel circle hooks when fishing for snapper grouper species using natural baits.

F. It is unlawful to possess any species of the snapper grouper complex without heads and fins intact as specified in 50 CFR Part §622.186.

G. As an exception to Section I.A., spadefish may be retained and sold in any number without a Federal Commercial South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Permit when taken for commercial purposes in coastal waters.