View a list of all commercial shellfish companies licensed in Washington State (in pdf format - requires free Acrobat reader) Alphabetical by company name (146k) Numerical by license number  (134k) (last updated 01/06/10)

The Commercial Shellfish Licensing & Certification Program is responsible for issuing licenses to Washington state commercial shellfish operations and certifying the sites from which they harvest.  A variety of species are harvested commercially in Washington's Puget Sound and coastal regions, including oysters, clams, mussels, geoduck, and scallops. Since these species are filter feeders capable of concentrating chemicals, bacteria, viruses, or marine biotoxins, an ongoing evaluation of commercial shellfish growing areas, certified harvest sites, and licensed facilities is essential to protect the shellfish-consuming public.

There are three major types of commercial shellfish operations:  

• Harvesters, who harvest shellstock (live, unshucked product) and sell only to other licensed Washington state shellfish dealers; 

• Shellstock Shippers, who grow and harvest shellstock, and buy and sell in or outside Washington; and

• Shucker-Packers, whose activities may include those of harvesters and shellstock shippers, plus shucking product for packing in jars or similar containers. 

Commercial shellfish operations are licensed for a period of one year, and licenses must be renewed annually.  All operations must meet stringent state and federal sanitation standards, and are regularly inspected by the Department of Health.

If you are interested in obtaining a commercial shellfish license, please contact our office at (360) 236-3330.

For information on other licenses issued by Environmental Health, visit The Division of Environmental Health Licenses, Certifications, & Permits

Commercial harvest restrictions due to vibrio bacteria:

The Department of Health puts restrictions on the commercial harvest of oysters during summer months because of the presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria.  The restrictions were placed into rule, Chapter 246-282-006, that became effective in May 2008. 

Questions may be directed to Richard Lillie at 360-236-3313, email  richard.lillie@doh.wa.gov.

Regulations:

State:

RCW Chapter 69.30, Sanitary Control of Shellfish

Chapter 246 -282 WAC, Sanitary Control of Shellfish

Federal:

National Shellfish Sanitation Program  2007 Guide for the Control of Molluscan Shellfish
(ISSC web link offers both web and printable format.) 
This document supercedes the 2005 version and is referenced in WAC 246-282.  

Other documents:

Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List
This FDA web site lists certified commercial shellfish shippers in the U.S., Canada, Chile, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, and New Zealand.

EH Home DOH Home | Access Washington | Privacy Notice | Disclaimer/Copyright Information Links to external resources are provided as a public service and do not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of Health. Shellfish Program Office of Shellfish and Water Protection Division of Environmental Health Washington State Department of Health Mailing address:  DOH Shellfish Program, PO Box 47824, Olympia, WA  98504-7824 Physical address:  Town Center Building 2, 111 Israel Rd. SE, Tumwater, WA Phone:  360-236-3330 Fax:     360-236-2257 Send inquiries about DOH and its programs to the Health Consumer Assistance Office. For comments or questions regarding this Web site, please send email to OSWP Web Coordinator.

            Last Update : 01/06/2010 12:55 PM