This study investigates the effect of varying soaking times on the production of chitosan from shrimp shells. A sample of fresh shrimp shells was obtained from a market in Malacca, Malaysia, and pre-treated by washing, drying, and pulverizing into a homogeneous powder. The synthesis process involved three primary steps: demineralization, deproteinization, and deacetylation. Each step was executed under different conditions for four samples (S1-S4) to examine the impact of soaking duration on chitosan yield and properties. Demineralization was achieved using 1 M HCl, while deproteinization involved treatment with 1 M NaOH, both with varying soaking times. Deacetylation was conducted with 12.5 M NaOH at different temperatures and durations. The resultant chitosan was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of characteristic chitosan functional groups, with higher degrees of deacetylation (DD%) corresponding to increased soaking times. XRD analysis indicated an amorphous structure for all samples, with S4 displaying the lowest crystallinity at the highest DD%. UV-Vis analysis confirmed that all samples were soluble in 1% acetic acid, suggesting good purity. The findings demonstrate that while soaking times affect the DD% and crystallinity of chitosan, all samples remained soluble and suitable for further applications. This work demonstrates that while soaking times affect the DD% and crystallinity of chitosan, all samples remained soluble and suitable for further applications. This study provides insights into optimizing chitosan production with variations in soaking time conditions.