The Department for Transport has made the Hovercraft (Fees) Regulations 2025, prescribing a charge for issuing a certificate of registration for hovercraft. The measure extends across the United Kingdom and is scheduled to commence on 10 November 2025. The fee‑setting power sits in article 35 of the Hovercraft (General) Order 1972, which permits the Secretary of State, with Treasury approval, to prescribe fees for functions under that Order. Ministers also told the House of Lords the intention was for the updated charging framework to operate from November 2025.
What changes in practice is straightforward: on application for registration under article 5 of the 1972 Order, a fee is payable for the issue of the certificate of registration. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency may withhold the certificate until the fee is settled, reflecting the established approach in maritime fee regulations.
The level is set at £153. This mirrors the amount long shown for hovercraft registration in Part 10 of Schedule 1 to the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018. The 2025 instrument removes that Part from the 2018 regime and places the charge in a dedicated hovercraft fees regulation to avoid duplication and improve clarity for practitioners.
For context, the United Kingdom currently has one commercial hovercraft operation running two craft between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. While the operational footprint is limited, the regulation applies UK‑wide and will also be relevant to private owners, public bodies and manufacturers that bring hovercraft into use and require registration.
Payment conditions are unambiguous. Consistent with maritime fee rules, certificates do not have to be issued before the corresponding fee is received. This ensures the MCA can recover costs for statutory functions connected to registration. Applicants should plan payments alongside any technical submissions required at application.
Ministers have stated on the record that no new fees or increases are introduced through the wider hovercraft legal updates and that charging is set on a cost‑recovery basis. Fixing the registration fee at £153 is consistent with that stance and provides a predictable figure for budget holders.
For maritime administrators, the immediate actions are limited: confirm whether a certificate of registration is required under article 5 of the 1972 Order, prepare the £153 payment at the point of application, and ensure the certificate is carried on board once issued as part of the required documentation.
Linked legal updates matter for future policy. The Hovercraft (Application of Enactments) (Amendment) Order 2025 applies Merchant Shipping Act fee‑making and updating powers to hovercraft so that charging provisions and technical standards can keep pace with those for ships. Together, these steps clarify how, and where, hovercraft fees are prescribed.