Cal. FGC § 8388
This is the official text of Cal. FGC § 8388, part of California’s Fish and Game Code — regulates hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Official statutory text
(a) No female angel shark measuring less than 42 inches in total length or 15 1/4 inches in alternate length and no male angel shark measuring less than 40 inches in total length or 14 1/2 inches in alternate length may be possessed, sold, or purchased, except that 10 percent of the angel sharks in any load may measure not more than 1/2 inch less than the minimum sizes specified herein.
(b) Angel shark total length shall be measured from the anterior end of the head to the tip of the tail while the fish is lying in a position of natural repose. When measuring total length or alternate length, the tip of the tail may be laid flat against the surface of the measuring device. Angel shark alternate length shall be measured from the point where the leading edge of the first dorsal fin meets the back to the tip of the tail. Angel sharks may be constrained from lateral movement during measurement by restraining devices approved by the department.
(c) Angel sharks taken in gill or trammel nets shall be landed (brought ashore) with at least one intact pelvic fin and the tail fin attached.
(d) Angel sharks taken in gill or trammel nets shall not be transferred to or from another vessel, except that angel sharks may be transferred to or from vessels with a department observer on board. An observer shall observe and make a written record of that transfer.
(b) Angel shark total length shall be measured from the anterior end of the head to the tip of the tail while the fish is lying in a position of natural repose. When measuring total length or alternate length, the tip of the tail may be laid flat against the surface of the measuring device. Angel shark alternate length shall be measured from the point where the leading edge of the first dorsal fin meets the back to the tip of the tail. Angel sharks may be constrained from lateral movement during measurement by restraining devices approved by the department.
(c) Angel sharks taken in gill or trammel nets shall be landed (brought ashore) with at least one intact pelvic fin and the tail fin attached.
(d) Angel sharks taken in gill or trammel nets shall not be transferred to or from another vessel, except that angel sharks may be transferred to or from vessels with a department observer on board. An observer shall observe and make a written record of that transfer.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in California?
Find a California lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.