NOAA Seeks OMB Clearance for Revised West Coast Fishery Permit Forms

The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is submitting a revised and extended information collection — the West Coast Region Permit Family of Forms (OMB Control Number 0648-0204) — to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The submission was announced in the Federal Register on June 24, 2026.

What the Collection Covers

The collection encompasses two broad categories of permits administered by the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region. The first category is Fisheries Permits, which include authorizations under the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plans (FMPs); these permits are required for commercial participation in those fisheries. The second category is Experimental/Testing Permits — voluntary authorizations that support research and experimental activities designed to provide data for management decisions, including Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs), scientific research plans and letters of acknowledgment, and Exempted Educational Activity Authorizations (EEAAs).

The notice explains that collecting data on participants — including vessel specifications, gear types, and projected activity levels — is critical for evaluating the impacts of management measures and ensuring compliance with fishery regulations. The legal authority for the collection is the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., which, under Section 303(b)(1), specifically recognizes the necessity for permit issuance. The notice further states that regulatory experience demonstrates the potential for permit revocation serves as a more effective deterrent than monetary penalties alone.

Revisions in This Submission

This submission represents a revision to a currently approved collection. According to the notice, two information collections are being removed because they were duplicate entries for renewals. At the same time, reports are being added for exempted fishing permits, scientific research, and exempted educational activity authorizations — items that the notice states were required by regulation but had not previously been accounted for in the collection.

The collection covers a range of form types with varying response burdens. Response times range from 5 minutes for online permit renewals (CPS and HMS) to 13 hours for scientific research plans. Appeals carry a burden of 4 hours each, EFP Applications require 1 hour, EEAA applications require 5 hours, and EEAA Reports require 2.5 hours. The total annual burden across all 1,164 respondents is estimated at 421 hours. Affected parties include individuals, businesses, and other for-profit organizations, and the respondents' obligation varies between voluntary and required to maintain benefits depending on permit type.

What to Watch

A 60-day public comment period was previously held following a notice published on December 22, 2025. The current notice opens an additional 30-day comment period for the general public and other federal agencies, running from the June 24, 2026 publication date. Comments and recommendations may be submitted, and the information collection request may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.

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