NOAA accelerates permitting timeline for seabed mining applications

WASHINGTON D.C. — (January 21, 2026) Today, NOAA announced revisions to the regulations for exploration licenses and commercial recovery permit applications under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA), a widely anticipated milestone in NOAA’s effort to streamline the deep seabed mining permitting framework. 

The revisions establish a consolidated DSHMRA exploration license and commercial recovery permit application process, which is effective on the date of publication. This final rule follows the July 7, 2025, proposed rule and a public hearing process. NOAA made clarifying changes to the regulatory text in response to comments received; however, these changes did not alter the purpose or the scope of the proposed rule.

“Deep seabed mining is key to unlocking a domestic source of critical minerals for the United States,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. "This consolidation modernizes the law and supports the America First agenda by enabling U.S. companies to access these resources more quickly, strengthening our nation’s economic resilience and advancing the discovery and use of critical seafloor minerals."

Since the passage of DSHMRA by Congress in 1980, U.S. citizens have been required to follow a two-step, sequential process in which applicants must first obtain an exploration license to undertake deep seabed mining exploration activities and separately apply for a recovery permit from NOAA before conducting commercial recovery activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Under the final rule published in the Federal Register, an eligible applicant may either use: 

1. The current two-step sequential process where an applicant first applies for and obtains an exploration license and then applies for the commercial recovery permit; or 

2. The new consolidated application process where an eligible applicant applies for and obtains the exploration license and commercial recovery permit at the same time. 

Additional information about the application process is available on NOAA’s National Ocean Service website.