California Code, Health and Safety Code - HSC § 112185

It is unlawful for any person to take, sell, offer, or hold for sale any shellfish from an area declared by the director to be unsuitable for harvesting for human consumption, without complying with all regulations adopted by the department to ensure that the shellfish have been purified.

The intent of this section is not to prohibit the transplanting of shellfish from restricted or prohibited growing areas, if permission for the transplanting is first obtained from the Department of Fish and Game pursuant to Section 237 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.