When collecting live shells in Florida,  I would recommend that Florida
residents spend the few dollars it takes to get a recreational salt water
fishing license.  The Florida Marine Patrol district office here in
Jacksonville,
when called this morning, could not provide a definitive answer as to when
Florida residents need a license to collect nor could they cite a relevant
statute.

According to the FMP, the 4 foot depth (as a determining factor as to
whether one was on the shore - no license needed - or off-shore - license
needed - has been eliminated - "or so they have heard").  They say that no
license is needed to collect even if one is off shore but had snorkeled from
the shore.  The FMP's iffy answers leads me to believe that they just don't
know for sure what the laws are (at least in this district). I suspect that
whatever the actual law is, it could be enforced differently depending on
which district one is collecting in.
Better safe than sorry!!

The linked page below (Title XXVIII, Chapter 370 - which is slow loading)
is the governing law.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/citizen/documents/statutes/StatuteBrowser99/index
.cfm?mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0370/ch0370.htm

Bill Frank
1865 Debutante Dr.
Jacksonville, FL 32246-8645
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Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
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