Nuclear Regulatory Commission Updates License Fees
Published Date: 6/16/2026
Rule
Summary
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is updating its fees for licenses, inspections, and special projects starting August 17, 2026. These changes make sure the NRC covers nearly all its costs while setting clear fee limits to keep prices predictable and fair. If you hold a license or apply for one, expect some fee adjustments that help the NRC run smoothly and efficiently.
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 7 costs, 1 mixed.
Professional Hourly Rate Rises to $337
The NRC increased its professional hourly rate from $318 to $337; this rate goes into effect the first full pay period after August 17, 2026. The higher hourly rate is used to price service fees and to calculate many flat application fees, so your billed hours and some flat fees will rise accordingly.
Rebaselined Annual Fees for License Classes
The NRC rebaselined FY 2026 annual fees for license classes. Example amounts include: operating power reactor annual fee $5,554,000 (combined fee per reactor $5,879,000), spent fuel storage/reactor decommissioning per facility $325,000, non-power production facilities $98,200, radiographers $34,300, and other specific categories listed in Table VI.
Total FY2026 Fee Recovery and Partitions
For FY 2026 the NRC's total budget authority is $971.5 million, with $152.6 million excluded from fee recovery, leaving $818.8 million to be recovered through fees. The NRC estimates $188.2 million will be recovered via 10 CFR part 170 service fees and approximately $630.6 million via 10 CFR part 171 annual fees.
Reduced Hourly Rate for Advanced Reactors $154
For advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants, the NRC's Reduced Hourly Rate increases from $148 to $154 and will take effect the first full pay period after August 17, 2026. This Reduced Hourly Rate (about $154/hour) applies to eligible advanced reactor activities identified under the ADVANCE Act.
Flat Application Fees Updated and Rounded
The NRC updated its flat application fees based on the $337 professional hourly rate; these revised flat fees apply to materials license and other regulatory applications filed on or after August 17, 2026. For billing simplicity, fees under $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $10, fees $1,000–$100,000 to the nearest $100, and fees over $100,000 to the nearest $1,000.
Low-Level Waste Surcharge Allocation Set
The NRC will assess a generic low-level waste (LLW) surcharge of $3.258 million in FY 2026. That surcharge is allocated chiefly to operating power reactors ($2.978 million), with $0.222 million to fuel facilities and $0.059 million to materials users.
Rule Effective Date and Applicability
If you hold an NRC license or apply for one, the new fees and caps take effect on August 17, 2026. Applications filed on or after that effective date will be charged the revised fees in this FY 2026 final fee rule.
Fixed Caps on Service Fees per E.O. 14300
The rule establishes fixed caps on service fees for requested Commission activities that involve issuance of a final safety evaluation, implementing section 5(a) of Executive Order 14300 to provide fee predictability. The agency will address fixed deadlines for final decisions in a future rulemaking.
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