Marine licensing in Wales

You may need a marine licence if you plan to carry out works in the marine licensable area.

Marine licensing protects the environment and other sea users, while allowing development work.

Who can apply

Marine licences can be for:

  • individuals
  • organisations
  • public bodies, like local councils

You are responsible for making sure you have the right permissions before you start work.

Activities that may need a licence

You may need a marine licence for activities in the marine licensable area.

This can include:

  • construction works
  • dredging
  • depositing materials
  • removing materials
  • laying cables or pipelines

Find out more about activities that need a marine licence.

Activities that do not need a licence

Some activities that would normally need a marine licence do not need one if they meet certain requirements.

Find out more about activities exempt from marine licensing.

The different types of licence

There are three types of marine licence:

  • Band 1
  • Band 2
  • Band 3

You will need to apply for whichever band is suitable for your activity.

Charges

You must pay a fee when you apply for a marine licence.

The amount you pay depends on the band.

Band 1 and band 2 are fixed rate charges.

Band 3 applications are charged at an hourly rate.

Find out more about charges.

Marine licensing steps

1. Check if and what licence you need

Confirm if your activity needs a licence and which band applies.

2. Prepare your application

Seek pre-application advice from us or other organisations, prepare any supporting documents and complete the application.

3. Submit and pay for your application

Your application will then be checked to make sure it includes all the information we need to start our assessment. This is known as being 'duly made'.

4. Consultation and assessment

We may consult with other organisations and the public to help us asses any impacts of your project. We may also contact you for more information.

5. Decision

We will grant or refuse a licence.

Application checks

For some band 2 and 3 applications, we may carry out a pre-assessment check called a 'fitness check'.

This is an early review of your proposed approach. It helps identify gaps before we formally assess your application.

This can reduce assessment delays later.

A fitness check is likely for projects that:

  • need an Environmental Impact Assessment
  • are large infrastructure developments (band 3)
  • use new technologies or approaches (band 2 or 3)
  • involve aquaculture
  • could affect other sea users
  • are in sensitive areas

We will consult with a small number of key organisations to check:

  • the information you provide
  • data and surveys
  • assessment methods

A fitness check usually takes between four and eight weeks. You should factor this into your application timings.

If a fitness check is needed, we will contact you to explain what is required and what happens next.

In some cases, following a fitness check, we may return the application. We could ask you to apply again if it doesn't contain all the information we need to assess it.

Band 1 and 2 assessment times

How long it takes to assess your application depends on which band licence you need and how complex the activity is.

Band 1: Six weeks

Band 2: 18 weeks

These timeframes start from when we confirm your application is complete and ready for assessment. It may not start from the date you submit it.

Band 3 assessment times

Band 3 applications can be very different in how complex they are. How long an application takes to assess depends on the type and size of the project.

The table below shows shortest, longest and average decision times for different types of band 3 projects.

Type of band 3 project Shortest time taken Longest time taken Average time taken
Coastal defence schemes 4 months 1 year 6 months 10 months
Port expansions 1 year 2 years 1 month 1 year 6 months
Offshore renewables 1 year 1 month 1 year 5 months 1 year 3 months
Other projects requiring EIA 11 months 1 year 3 months 1 year 1 month
Other projects not requiring EIA 1 month 9 months 4 months


If we need more information from you, your application will be put on hold, which will increase the time taken to reach a decision.

If you get a licence

Your marine licence will:

  • describe the works you are allowed to carry out
  • include any conditions you must follow
  • confirm when the licence starts and ends

The length of a licence depends on the activity and its size. Band 1 licences cannot be longer than a year.

If your proposed works change, you may need to apply to vary your licence. You cannot vary a band 1 licence.

Other permissions you may need

You may need other licences, permissions or consents before you start work. A marine licence does not replace these.

Other permissions from us

You may need:

Permissions from other organisations

You may also need:

  • planning permission from your local planning authority
  • consent from landowner, such as The Crown Estate

This is not a complete list. You are responsible for making sure you have all the permissions you need from us and other organisations before you start any work.

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