Proposed Rule2025-20445
Hazardous Materials: Adjusting Registration and Fee Assessment Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 20, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Abstract
PHMSA is withdrawing its proposed rulemaking that would have increased registration fees for persons who transport, or offer for transportation, certain categories and quantities of hazardous materials.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 222 (Thursday, November 20, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 222 (Thursday, November 20, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 52348-52349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-20445]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
49 CFR Part 107
[Docket No. PHMSA-2022-0033 (HM-208J)]
RIN 2137-AF59
Hazardous Materials: Adjusting Registration and Fee Assessment
Program
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.
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SUMMARY: PHMSA is withdrawing its proposed rulemaking that would have
increased registration fees for persons who transport, or offer for
transportation, certain categories and quantities of hazardous
materials.
DATES: The notice of proposed rulemaking published May 24, 2024 at 89
FR 45806 is withdrawn as of November 20, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yul B. Baker, Jr., Standards and
Rulemaking Division, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, at
202-366-8553.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 52349]]
Table of Contents
I. What action is PHMSA taking?
II. What did PHMSA propose and why?
III. Why is PHMSA taking this action?
IV. What additional action is PHMSA taking?
V. Conclusion
I. What action is PHMSA taking?
PHMSA is withdrawing the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM),
titled ``Hazardous Materials: Adjusting Registration and Fee Assessment
Program'' (HM-208J),\1\ under Docket No. PHMSA-2022-0033. This
rulemaking proposed to increase the registration fees imposed under the
statutorily mandated registration and fee assessment program for
persons who transport, or offer for transportation, certain categories
and quantities of hazardous materials. This rulemaking also proposed
minor revisions to other registration program requirements.
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\1\ 89 FR 45806 (May 24, 2024).
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II. What did PHMSA propose and why?
In the NPRM, PHMSA proposed the following revisions to the
hazardous materials program procedures (49 CFR part 107):
<bullet> Revise Sec. 107.612 to increase the annual registration
fee to be paid by registrants qualifying as a small business or not-
for-profit organization to $375 (i.e., a $125 increase), and to be paid
by registrants not qualifying as a small business or not-for-profit
organization to $3,000 (i.e., a $425 increase).
<bullet> Revise Sec. 107.616 to require electronic-only
registration fee payments.
<bullet> Revise Sec. 107.620 recordkeeping requirements to clarify
how a certificate of registration may be carried and provided to
authorized personnel in either electronic or paper form for both motor
carriers and vessels; to use consistent language for making available
or furnishing the certificate of registration to authorized personnel
or DOT enforcement personnel; and to remove sunrise dates for
applicability of the requirements as these dates have passed and are no
longer relevant to the respective provisions.
III. Why is PHMSA taking this action?
PHMSA is withdrawing the NPRM to reduce undue economic burdens on
the hazardous materials transportation community. The withdrawal is
consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 14192,\2\ ``Unleashing
Prosperity Through Deregulation,'' which directs agencies to reduce
unnecessary regulatory compliance burdens on both industry and the
public. Stakeholder feedback on the NPRM also indicated uncertainty in
the broader hazardous materials transportation community regarding the
proposed fee increase, which provides further support for the
withdrawal. PHMSA has determined that a fee increase is not necessary
to maintain the level of funding needed to carry out the mission of its
grants program, which is to support hazardous materials emergency
response planning and training activities by States, local governments,
and Native American Tribes--ensuring first responders are well trained
and prepared to respond to hazardous materials related incidents--and
to develop and distribute the Emergency Response Guidebook.
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\2\ 90 FR 9065 (Feb. 6, 2025).
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IV. What additional action is PHMSA taking?
Although PHMSA has decided not to increase registration fees at
this time, PHMSA is moving forward with two of the proposed amendments
in separate NPRMs that were published on July 1, 2025. The first NPRM,
``Hazardous Materials: Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank
Account (HM-268H),'' \3\ under Docket No. PHMSA-2025-0096, has proposed
updates to the payment system for hazardous materials registration. The
second NPRM, ``Hazardous Materials: Reducing Recordkeeping Requirements
for Domestic Carriers (HM-268I),'' \4\ under Docket No. PHMSA-2025-
0097, has proposed revisions to the hazardous materials program
procedures.
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\3\ 90 FR 28528 (Jul. 1, 2025).
\4\ 90 FR 28531 (Jul. 1, 2025).
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V. Conclusion
PHMSA will not increase registration fees at this time. PHMSA based
this decision on the Administration's priority of minimizing economic
burdens on the regulated hazardous materials transportation community
consistent with E.O. 14192. PHMSA will proceed with the remaining
proposed amendments to implement an electronic-only payment system and
to clarify fee program requirements in separate rulemakings. PHMSA
received no comments specific to these latter proposed changes.
Accordingly, PHMSA is withdrawing the May 24, 2024 NPRM and terminating
this rulemaking proceeding.
Issued in Washington, DC, on November 18, 2025, under the
authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Paul J. Roberti,
Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025-20445 Filed 11-19-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on November 20, 2025.
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