Data / Federal rules / 2026-01044
Deep Seabed Mining: Revisions to Regulations for Exploration License and Commercial Recovery Permit Applications
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on January 21, 2026. It took effect on January 21, 2026.
SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. It reads every rule and proposed rule in the Federal Register each morning, and this page is that reading. Name your industry once and new rules, comment deadlines and effective dates arrive in your sheet, CRM, Slack or agent as they are published.
What the agency says
The Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA or the Act) charges NOAA with the responsibility for issuing licenses for exploration and permits for commercial recovery of hard mineral resources, as defined in the Act, from the deep seabed in areas beyond national jurisdiction and promulgating regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act. Some provisions of the regulations require updating to reflect significant technological and information changes since promulgation of the initial regulations in the 1980s. NOAA has included a consolidated license and permit application process in a section of the regulations reserved for this purpose and has made other clarifying and conforming changes.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-01044
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Published
- January 21, 2026
- Takes effect
- January 21, 2026
- Dates
- Effective Date: This rule is effective January 21, 2026.
- Docket
- Docket No. 260113-0029
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 0648-BN96
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 15 CFR 970; 15 CFR 971
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Marine resources; Mineral resources
- Significant
- Yes, under Executive Order 12866
- Pages
- 36
Other documents from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Everything from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on marine resources · Rules on mineral resources · Published in January 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-24. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.