State law requires the Department of Health (DOH) to recover its full fee-eligible costs for licensing programs. In 2023, the DOH initiated rulemaking to increase fees in the shellfish regulatory program. In 2024, the Legislature passed a proviso that paused the DOH's rulemaking process to increase fees in the shellfish regulatory program and required the DOH to contract with an independent consultant to review the program. The resulting Greene Report was published in 2025.
In July 2025, the DOH conducted new rulemaking and adopted new and increased fees that took effect on February 1, 2026. Under this rulemaking, a second round of fee increases will occur in year two, after July 1, 2026. The following table compares the licensing fees and biotoxin fees that were in effect in fiscal year 2025 with both the current and fully phased-in fees.
| Licensing Fees
| Biotoxin Fees | ||||
Operation | FY 2025 | Adopted - Effective Feb. 1, 2026
| Adopted - FY 2027 | FY 2025 | Adopted - Effective Feb. 1, 2026 | Adopted - FY 2027 |
Harvester, 2 harvest sites or less | $263 | $876 | $1,489 | $353 | $353 | $710 |
Harvester, 3 sites or more | $263 | $916 | $1,569 | $535 | $535 | $1,076 |
Shellstock Shipper (SS) 0-49 acres, 2 sites or less | $297 | $1,954 | $3,611 | $393 | $393 | $790 |
SS 0-49 acres, 3 sites or more | $297 | $2,100 | $3,902 | $610 | $610 | $1,226 |
SS 50 acres or more | $476 | $2,188 | $2,900 | $961 | $961 | $1,933 |
SS Wholesaler | $297 | $1,955 | $3,613 | $198 | $198 | $790 |
Shucker Packer (SP) <2000 sq ft plant, 2 sites or less | $542 | $4,398 | $8,252 | $752 | $752 | $1,512 |
SP <2000 sq ft plant, 3 sites or more | $542 | $4,816 | $9,090 | $1,076 | $1,076 | $2,164 |
SP 2000-5000 sq ft plant, 2 sites or less | $656 | $5,512 | $10,368 | $882 | $882 | $1,773 |
SP 2000-5000 sq ft plant, 3 sites or more | $656 | $5,405 | $10,154 | $1,297 | $1,297 | $2,607 |
SP >5000 sq ft plant | $1,210 | $5,105 | $9,000 | $2,412 | $2,412 | $4,848 |
The following table compares the use fees that were in effect in fiscal year 2025 with both the current and fully phased-in fees.
| FY 2025 | Adopted - Effective Feb. 1, 2026 | Adopted - FY 2027 |
Export Certificate | $55 | $159 | $159 |
PSP Geoduck Testing | Varies by harvester | $188 | $297 |
Non-Compliance (Virtual) | None | $64 | $64 |
Non-Compliance (In-Person) | None | $291 | $291 |
New/Expired License Inspection | None | $323 | $323 |
On December 31, 2025, the DOH initiated new rulemaking to explore alternative shellfish fee structures to minimize impacts on small businesses.
The shellfish regulatory program is exempted from the statutory requirement that the Department of Health (DOH) licensing programs must be fully fee-supported. Annual shellfish operation license fees and biotoxin testing fees for companies harvesting species other than geoduck intertidally may not exceed the following amounts:
Operation | HB 2737 - License Fee Maximums | HB 2737 - Biotoxin Fee Maximums |
Harvester, 2 harvest sites or less | $416 | $484 |
Harvester, 3 sites or more | $416 | $733 |
Shellstock Shipper (SS) 0-49 acres, 2 sites or less | $469 | $538 |
SS 0-49 acres, 3 sites or more | $469 | $836 |
SS 50 acres or more | $752 | $1,317 |
SS Wholesaler | $469 | $271 |
Shucker Packer (SP) <2000 sq ft plant, 2 sites or less | $856 | $1,030 |
SP <2000 sq ft plant, 3 sites or more | $856 | $1,474 |
SP 2000-5000 sq ft plant, 2 sites or less | $1,036 | $1,208 |
SP 2000-5000 sq ft plant, 3 sites or more | $1,036 | $1,777 |
SP >5000 sq ft plant | $1,912 | $3,304 |
The fee for an export certificate may not exceed $75. The fee maximums apply retroactively to all shellfish fees and surcharges established on or after February 1, 2026.
Definitions are provided for "export certificate," "harvester," "harvest site," "shellstock shipper," and "shucker-packer," that are consistent with how the terms are defined in rule. "Wholesale shellstock shipper" means dealers who perform no harvesting, have no harvest sites, and are limited to purchasing and reshipping shellfish.