It shall be the duty of each owner or lessee of any private reef to have established an accurate survey by a registered surveyor of the bottoms, beds, or reefs under his or her control, and each corner shall be clearly marked and defined with the owner's or lessee's name clearly attached. There shall also be established intermediate markers between the corners, the distance between which shall not exceed 600 feet extending from each corner of the private bed, bottom, or reef to the adjacent corner, and also from the outside corner every 600 feet to the high water mark on the associated beach, bank, or marsh edge. The plat of this area, including GPS coordinates of area corners, and any lease agreements or proof of right of ownership shall be filed with the Division of Marine Resources together with the list of any persons using the bed, bottom, or reef as the owner's agent or permittee. Plats and lease agreements shall be provided to the division in such a manner as to remain current. The director of the division may require private oyster leases to be resurveyed every five years or at any time the director determines that the private leased area has substantially changed. The agent or permittee shall have in his or her possession at all times while on the bed, bottom, or reef a written, dated permit from the owner, which permit shall extend for a period not exceeding 30 days from the date of signature of the owner or lessor. Failure of the permittee or agent to have the permit in his or her possession shall constitute a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, he or she shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars ($25) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500) and may be imprisoned for a period not exceeding six months.
Last modified: May 3, 2021