Permit Fees

Each permitting authority (State, local, tribal, or the EPA) collects fees from sources required to obtain operating permits. These fees must be sufficient to fund all reasonable permit program costs.

Part 70

States may use the “Presumptive Minimum Fee“ approach to determine if fees are adequate and to charge fees to sources but this is not required by the EPA and other fee approaches may be approved into the program.

• The EPA considers the total program revenue to be presumptively adequate if fees are collected at or above the presumptive minimum level,
• If presumptively adequate, the EPA did not require a detailed fee analysis in the initial operating permit program submittal,
• The presumptive fee rate was initially set at $ 25/ton of emissions per year,
• The presumptive minimum fee rate is adjusted for inflation in September of each year,
• Each adjusted presumptive minimum fee is effective from September 1 until August 31 of the following year,
• States may charge the presumptive minimum fee or any other fee schedule to sources, so check with your State, local or tribal agency for the appropriate fee calculation procedures for your location.

Title V Fee Webinar

EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards hosted a webinar on June 29, 2023 for permitting authorities responsible for title V operating permit programs. This high-level webinar covered topics related to title V fee requirements and background, costs and activities under part 70, fee evaluations and fee schedules, and fee deficiencies.

Part 71

Part 71 Annual Fee applies to all part 71 sources:

• The fee was initially set at $32/ton (1996),
• It is adjusted for inflation every year in September,
• The fee is effective for the calendar year (different from the part 70 fee)
• The Fee Rate is slightly different from the part 70 fee because of different basis
• Every part 71 source is required to pay the part 71 fee, as provided in the regulations
• Information on how to pay part 71 fees can be found on the EPA Issued Operating Permits page.