Empty seashells
An empty, unoccupied seashell is generally okay for personal collection on an open beach unless the local land manager says otherwise. Check carefully for a hermit crab or mollusk; if anything is living inside, leave it.
Foraging / The beach
Shells, shark teeth & sea beans.
Texas has 367 miles of public Gulf beach, and beachcombing here is a joy - especially in winter. What you can take depends on the item - and on whether you're on an open beach or in a national seashore.
What you can take
Live shells need a license
Live shells are different. To take a living shellfish (like a live lightning whelk - the state shell), you need a fishing license with a saltwater endorsement, and there are daily limits (no more than 15 live snails, and no more than 2 lightning whelks). When in doubt, take only empties.
At Padre Island National Seashore
At Padre Island National Seashore, you may keep up to one 1-gallon container of empty shells and sea beans; commercial collecting is banned.
Sand dollars & starfish
Leave live sand dollars and starfish in place. If you cannot confidently tell whether an animal is alive or whether local rules allow collection, leave it.
Sea turtles are protected
Sea turtles and their eggs are federally protected - never touch or disturb them (see the Wildlife hub).
Free on open beaches
Rules for shark teeth, driftwood, sea glass, and other beach finds can change with the city, county, state park, or federal unit managing the shore. Public beach access is not a promise that every natural object is free to take. Check the posted rule before filling a bucket.
Padre Island catch: One catch: at Padre Island National Seashore, only empty shells and sea beans may be collected - not shark teeth, driftwood, or sea glass. The park's rules are stricter than open beaches.
Dunes: Leave the dunes alone - don't dig sand from or trample protected dunes.
Keep going
Official sources
Open Gulf beaches are managed by the Texas General Land Office; Padre Island National Seashore by the NPS (with stricter rules); live-shell licensing by TPWD.
- Data vintage:
- Beachcombing rules as reviewed July 2026
- Last reviewed:
- July 10, 2026
- Texas General Land Office - Beaches - The Open Beaches Act
- NPS - Padre Island beachcombing
- TPWD - Shellfish & other aquatic life
Before you act: Rules differ between open beaches and national parks, and live-shell limits change. Check the rules for the specific beach, and never take a live animal without the right license. How to use Texas Porch carefully.
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