Do I need a marine licence?

Overview Overview

Many activities that take place in and around the sea needrequire a marine licence. It’sIt is your responsibility to find out ifwhether your activity needsrequires a marine licence. This will usually depend on: on:

• WhatWhere the activity is  will take place
• WhereWhat the activity will take place is
• How the activity will be carried out out

Jurisdiction

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 provides that a marine licence is required for certain activities carried out within the the UK marine area.

The MMO isThe MMO is responsible for marine licensing in English waters and for Northern Ireland offshore waters.

The MMO isThe MMO is also responsible for marine licensing of some activities in other parts of the world.

Find out more about the the MMO’sMMO’s jurisdiction

Check if you need a marine licence 

You can check if you need a marine licence using our Marine Licencing Tool  

You will find out: 

• if your activity falls within the jurisdiction of the MMO 
• if an exemption will apply  
• if your activity is suitable for a self-service marine licence 
• if your activity requires a standard marine licence  

Activities that may need a marine licence

There are seven categories of activity that may need a marine licence. Follow the links below to find out more about the activities and the circumstances in which they may need a marine licence: licence:

• Construction (including laying of cables, maintenance, alteration or improvement of existing structures and assets) 
• Dredging 
• Deposit of any substance or object 
• Removal of any substance or object 
• Incineration of any substance or object 
• Scuttling (sinking) of any vessel or floating container 
• Use of explosives

YouLicensable canactivities applywithin forthe MMO’s jurisdiction are detailed in Part 4 of the followingMarine and Coastal Access Act 2009

• Standard

  Exemptions

  Exemptions marineprovide licence

• Exemptionproportionate fromregulation aof the marine licence
• Self-serviceenvironment. marineThey licence
• Otherremove consents

Standardthe marineneed licence 

Afor standarda marine licence is for allcertain activities notin coveredcertain bycircumstances.

If you intend to rely on an exemption oryou bymust amake self-servicesure marinethat licence.

you meet the relevant qualifying criteria and conditions. You canmight applyalso forneed ato standardnotify marinethe licenceMMO online.   

Self-serviceabout marineyour licence 

activities.

AEnforcement self-serviceaction marinemay licencebe istaken suitableif forit activitiesis later determined that arethe consideredactivity, byor the MMOcircumstances toin bewhich lowit risk.was Thecarried MMOout, considersis activitiesnot lowconsistent riskwith ifthe they’reterms consistentof inthe naturerelevant and extent.exemption.

YouUse canthe apply for a self-service marine licence onlineinteractive assistance tool.  

Exemption fromto acheck marinewhether licence 

Anan exemption removesapplies or notify the needMMO forof athe marineintention licenceto forcarry someout activitiesan inexempt certainactivity.

Find circumstances. out more about exemptions

Self-service

You’llThe needMMO toclasses meeta thenumber qualifyingof criteriaactivities as low risk because they are sufficiently consistent in nature and conditionsextent. forSelf-service anmarine exemption. licensing Inprovides somea circumstancesmechanism youfor maythose alsoseeking needto carry out these activities, to notifyobtain thea MMOmarine aboutlicence yourwithout activitiesbeing evensubject ifto yourthe activitystandard ismarine exempt.  licensing process.

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Standard providemarine proportionatelicence

If regulationa ofproposed activity requires a marine licence and the activity is not one that meets with self-service criteria, a standard marine environment.  licence will be required.

TheYou MMO can takeapply enforcementfor actiona ifstandard yourmarine activitylicence doesonline.

Find notout meetmore theabout terms of the exemptionstandard whichmarine youlicence haveprocess appliedand for.  associated fees.

Other consents 

consents

ActivitiesYou should note that activities in and around the marine environment mightmay needalso consentsrequire fromadditional otherconsents, bodies,irrespective inof additionwhether tothey need a marine licence.licence Thisor cannot.

A bewildlife thelicence casemay evenbe required if yourthe proposed activity doescould notimpact need a self-serviceprotected marinespecies licence or ahabitat. standardThis marinecan licenceinclude fromdisturbance, theinjury, MMO. 

Ifkilling, yourcollection, activitydamage couldor impactdestruction aof protectedplace speciesor structure that is used for shelter or habitat,protection youand maypreventing needaccess to such a wildlifeplace licence.or Findstructure. outFurther moreinformation abouton when a wildlife licence.licence is required can be found here  .

IfA yourseabed activitysurvey licence or coastal survey licence will be required from The Crown Estate for survey activities that physically interact with the foreshore (including estuarine) or seabed ownedunder byownership of The Crown EstateEstate. youOther mayprojects, needsuch aas seabedhabitat surveyrestoration, will also require a licence from The Crown Estate if it impacts upon the foreshore or coastalseabed surveythat licence.they manage. A map of The Crown Estate’s foreshore and estuary ownership is available on their their Open Data Portal.  .

• If

  Works yourtaking activity also takes place partly on land,land youoften mayrequire need planning permission from the local planning authority.   

• authority.

  If yourthere activityis includesa discharge of water,some youkind mayor need a environmental permit from the Environment Agency.  

• If your activity includes abstractions of water,water youan mayenvironmental needpermit aor water abstraction licence from the Environment Agency.  
• IfAgency yourmay activitybe takes place in a needed.

  SiteSites of Special Scientific interest (SSSI(SSSI) you may need consent from Natural England.  

• IfEngland youmay arebe planningrequired anfor offshoreactivities energytaking generationplace stationwithin youSSSI’s.

  Offshore energy generating stations may needalso require other consents from the MMO.   

• HarbourMMO and harbour authorities carryingwishing outto carryout port developments may needrequire a harbour order.   

.

UK Marine licenceWorks fees  Controls:

ThereCoverage isof akey fixedlegislation feeof forUK aworks self-serviceincludes:

Updates

Legislation	Marine marinearea licence,covered	Authority
The Town and aCountry variablePlanning feeAct	up to lowest local tide limit	Local Planning Authority
Land Drainage Act 1991 & Water Resources Industry Act 1991	up to 3 nautical miles offshore	Environment Agency
Harbours Act 1964	Up to the extent of the local harbour limit	Local Harbour Authority
Marine & Coastal Access Act 2009	Up to 6 nautical miles offshore	Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority
Transport and Works Act 1992 (Large Works)	up to 12 nautical miles offshore	Department for aTransport
Electricity standardact marine1989, licence.Energy FindAct out2004	up moreto about200 ournautical fees. miles offshore	OFGEM
Landowner or The Crown Estate Planning Act 2008	up to this200 pagenautical miles offshore	Crown Estate Commissioner
UK Waters Petroleum Act 2008	up to 200 nautical miles offshore	Secretary of State
Marine & Coastal Access Act 2009	See ‘MMO Jurisdiction’	Marine Management Organisation