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Before you apply听

If you鈥檙e unsure if you need a marine licence, use our before continuing.听

Before applying, please ensure that you are familiar with the methodology, location, and scope of the work. This includes understanding all licensable activities within the work, as some methodologies may involve multiple activities. If there are any changes within the scope of the work, you should revisit the tool.

After registering, we recommend before submitting your application and after following the guidance on what you may need to with your application, if you are unsure what you may need to supply you can use our pre-application service.听We will then be able to advise on what you should include in your application. To use this service, submit an enquiry from your account on our online licencing system. This service may incur a鈥�charge.

If you submit a marine licence application with incomplete information, we will not process it. In most cases we鈥檒l ask you to supply the missing information. In some circumstances we鈥檒l need to reject the application.听Check here to understand what you may need to supply with your marine licence application.

How to Apply for a marine licence听

You can apply for a marine licence account using our online licensing system once you are or have an existing account.听

You can use the online licensing system to:听听

• submit a marine licence application听(pre-application service)
• request advice by submitting an enquiry听
• notify us about an鈥�exempt activity听
• request an鈥�Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening opinion听
• request an鈥�Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping requests听
• request an鈥�environmental statement review听
• request a鈥�sample plan, sediment analysis or laboratory validation听
• request a鈥�variation to a marine licence听
• view a starts of work notifications听
• view a disposal returns听
• view a monitoring reports听
• submit returns to fufil marine licence conditions

For help using the online licensing system, read our document.听

After you have applied for a standard marine licence听

You can log in to your account to check the progress of your application at any time.听听

Once you submit your application, we鈥檒l do an initial assessment to check you鈥檝e included all the necessary information. If we require more information from you to support your application, we鈥檒l contact you by email. Your application will be given an 鈥榦n hold鈥� status until the information required has been supplied. In some circumstances, we might need to reject your application.听听

When we鈥檝e completed our initial assessment of your application we鈥檒l contact you with a fee estimate. You have 14 days to accept the fee estimate. If you do not accept the fee estimate within 14 days your application will be rejected.鈥疨lease be aware that fee estimates are subject to change. You will only be charged for the time spent on the application. If a new fee estimate is issued, the application will go on hold until the new fee estimate has been accepted.

We aim to process your application within 13 weeks from the date you accept our fee estimate for your application (excluding on hold time).

After you accept the fee estimate we鈥檒l allocate your application to a case team. A case officer will contact you by email to confirm this. If you鈥檝e not been contacted by a case officer 7 days after accepting the fee estimate, please send an email to marine.consents@marinemanagement.org.uk or phone 0300 123 1032 and include your case reference number.听

It is not unusual for an application to be given an 鈥榦n hold鈥� status once the case team start processing your application. This is usually because we need further information from you. In these instances, your case officer will tell you what information we need, and when we need it by. For a standard marine licence we will always consult our primary advisors and undertake a public consultation. We may also decide to consult interested parties about your application. This usually includes other public authorities and agencies. If we do this, we may contact you to place notices in national and local publications as part of your application process and request further information. The consultation may also lead to requests for further information from you.

The time an application is given an 鈥榦n hold鈥� status is not included within the 13-week target. Therefore, your application may take longer to process in real time. You can see you application status by logging in to your online licensing system account.

When the case team has finished processing your application, we鈥檒l either:听

• grant the marine licence听
• grant the marine licence subject to conditions听
• reject your marine licence application听

In case we apply conditions to your license or refuse your application, we鈥檒l set out a record of reasons.

After you receive an application decision听

During the marine licence application process the MMO will send the draft marine licence for you to review.

You may then be required to fulfil conditions associated with your licence on our听, for example, provide any updated versions of documents required before you can start the activity.听The MMO will review this document and confirm if it is sufficient to discharge the condition.

Some conditions may only be able to be actioned once the activity is happening. For example, noise reports for piling activities. Others may only be able to be actioned after the activity has been completed. For example, assessments on mitigation measures.听

Any post-consent monitoring completed by the MMO of your marine licence, which includes any reviews or approvals which are required, may incur a fee. Read more about our fees.听

Appeals听

听You can appeal our decision if:听

• we refused to grant you a marine licence听
• you disagree with the conditions attached to your marine licence听
• you disagree with the length of time your marine licence has been granted for听

In England appeals are heard by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) on behalf of the Secretary of State. Only you as the applicant can appeal a decision. However, a challenge in the courts by judicial review may be available to a third party.听

You have 6 months from the date of our decision being made to notify鈥疨INS鈥痶hat you want to make a formal appeal stating your preferred procedure. The available procedures are:听

• written representations听
• hearings听
• inquiries听

We will also be asked to indicate a preferred procedure and鈥疨INS鈥痺ill then decide which will be followed.听听

The start date of the appeal is the date that we receive notification of this decision from PINS.听

PINS鈥痺ill appoint an inspector on behalf of the Secretary of State to consider your appeal.听

There are legal time limits for parts of the procedure that you and鈥疢MO鈥痬ust keep to. This is given in detail in the鈥�听

The inspector may dismiss your appeal or allow the appeal and quash our original decision in whole or in part. If our licensing decision is quashed, then we may be directed to grant a marine licence to you or grant a licence subject to conditions defined by the appeal decision.听

An appeal decision can be challenged by judicial review.听

Both sides will normally be expected to pay their own expenses during an appeal. However, the inspector has the power to award costs to any party where a hearing or inquiry is held, or scheduled, but subsequently cancelled at a late stage. There is no provision for costs orders to be made in written representation cases.听

We鈥痚ncourage all outstanding issues or differences of opinion on an application to be resolved during the application process, which may save time and money for all sides if a formal appeal is avoided. If you are unhappy with a potential decision to refuse an application, you can ask the鈥疢MO鈥痶o carry out an internal review of the decision before it is formally issued. To do this, contact marine.consents@marinemanagement.org.uk.

Information on how your personal information will be processed for the purpose of marine licensing appeals is published in the鈥�听

Making a change to your licence听

If you need to make a change to your marine licence you can apply for a 鈥榣icence variation鈥� from your online licensing system account. The request must be made at least 3 months before the change is required or at least 3 months before the licence end date. If your request is not submitted within the correct time frames your request will be rejected and a new application would need to be submitted.听听

MMO are allowed to vary, suspend or revoke your marine licence on any grounds. These include:听

• a breach of any conditions听
• a change in circumstances relating to the environment or human health听
• a change in scientific evidence听
• navigational safety