Guidance

Applying for a licence to explore the wreck of RMS Titanic

Published 11 August 2026

Introduction

The wreck of RMS Titanic is protected by international agreements.

Anyone wishing to explore or investigate the wreck must apply for a licence to do so.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is the licensing authority for UK nationals and UK-flagged vessels.

If you do not have a licence, it is against the law to:

• enter into the wreck of RMS Titanic
• remove artefacts from the wreck of RMS Titanic or from the surrounding debris field

This guidance explains what you need to do to apply for a licence.

General principles

The UK government has adopted the Annex to the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage as best practice for archaeology underwater. This annex comprises a series of ethical rules concerning activities directed at underwater cultural heritage, which provide objective standards by which to assess the appropriateness of actions in respect to archaeology underwater.

All individuals licensed to undertake activities directed at the wreck of RMS Titanic agree to uphold the general principles of the rules annexed to the 2001 Convention.

Activities which require a licence

You need a licence to carry out the following activities:

• penetration of the wreck for any purposes
• recovery of artefacts from the wreck or the surrounding debris field within the designated area
• controlled removal of sediments
• collection of samples for research

The designated area surrounding the wreck is defined as:

• being centred on 41 43 84 N, 49 57 23 W
• covering an area within 1 km of this centre point

Entry into the hull

The Secretary of State will not normally grant a licence to allow entry into the hull of the wreck unless a strong case is made that the information cannot be collected through non-intrusive methods. Any application will need to provide a project design which:

• outlines the measures in place to minimise impact with the hull structure
• employs non-destructive measures where appropriate - there will be a presumption against the cutting of access routes into the interior of the wreck

Recovery of material

The Secretary of State will not normally grant a licence to allow the recovery of material, unless a strong case is made that the recovery of exposed artefacts is appropriate. This applies to both exposed items on the surface of the seabed within the designated area and contained within the hull of the wreck.

Any application for a licence allowing the recovery of material will need to provide:

• evidence that sufficient funds are in place to enable the conservation and curation of the items

• a project design indicating:

  • how recoveries address established research questions
  • a methodology for recovery
  • details of conservation measures in place to receive the material

Activities which do not require a licence

The following activities do not require a licence:

• geophysical survey
• non-intrusive site visit
• photography
• videography
• visual monitoring
• measured survey
• photographic survey
• compilation of site plans
• recording of seabed topography
• ecological survey - in most cases

It is an offence under the 2003 Order to undertake licensable activities without the appropriate licence, or in breach of a condition held on a licence, with a potentially unlimited fine on conviction. Individuals or organisations may also be liable under other legislation or common law depending on the nature of their actions.

If you are unsure whether a licence is required in order to undertake your planned activity, you should contact DfT to clarify the situation.

Applying for a licence

Before you formally apply for a licence, you need to make an initial enquiry to the Department for Transport.

You should email DfTWrecks@dft.gov.uk to explain briefly:

• what you are proposing to do
• why you want to do it

The Wrecks Team will respond to you within 30 working days.

If your application proceeds, you will need to submit a detailed project design to explain your proposals in greater detail.

You need to submit your licence application, including project design, a minimum of 120 days before the expected commencement date for the project.

This is to enable a comprehensive assessment of the project design to be carried out and an informed recommendation be made by Historic England.

Application process overview

This is a summary of the licence application process. Some of these actions happen concurrently.

1. Applicant contacts DfT at DfTWrecks@dft.gov.uk.

2. If the application is proceeding, the applicant submits a full application, including a detailed project design.

3. Historic England requests references.

4. DfT shares the application with the licensing authorities in Canada, France and the USA for review.

5. Historic England submits its advice to DfT for a decision.

6. DfT notifies the applicant of its decision and issues a licence, if approved.

Project design

You must submit a detailed project design document with your application.

The schedule to the Protection of Wrecks (RMS Titanic) Order 2003 set outs the required content for a project design.

Objectives of the project

What is the project seeking to achieve?

Outline the specific research questions that this project intends to answer.

The Secretary of State will only grant a licence if it can be demonstrated that the project is justified by educational, scientific or cultural interests.

The project design should set out the business case for the project, setting out the educational, scientific or cultural interests outcomes in a clear and concise way.

Examples of specific research questions in relation to RMS Titanic could include:

• what is the rate of decay of the hull structure?
• what is the spatial distribution of artefacts in the surrounding debris field?
• what is the rate of colonisation of the wreck structure by marine biological organisms?

Methodology and techniques

Outline the specific tasks that will be undertaken during the project in order to ensure that the aims and objectives of the project are met.

What techniques or approaches will be employed?

How do these maximise the potential of the area of study to provide information?

How will the results be archived and disseminated?

Where appropriate, reference should be made to professional standards and guidelines, and to organisational procedures and manuals.

Methodologies should ensure that no material will be deposited on the wreck or within the designated area. Specifically this should preclude the use of ‘drop-weights’ as a means of creating buoyancy to allow ROVs, AUVs and submersibles to surface. There should be appropriate protocols in place to avoid entanglement of the wreck site as a result of inadequate tether management during their deployment.

ROVs or AUVs should be operated at a sufficient distance from the sea floor to avoid disturbance of the benthos (organisms living on the sea floor). ROVs or AUVs should remain an appropriate distance from the wreck of RMS Titanic to reduce the risk of accidental collision or entanglement.

The project design should also take into account environmental considerations to ensure minimal impact on marine life present within the designated area.

The anticipated funding

Provide evidence of sufficient funding to complete the full range of activities included in the project design. This section should also clearly identify where the funding from the project has come from. Is the project funded by private sponsorship, through funding provided by a research institution or grant giving body or by other means?

This section of the project design should identify the full costings for the various stages of the project, including:

• preliminary planning
• the actual expedition to visit the wreck site itself
• any post-project activities, including assessment of data collected, reporting and dissemination of the results of the project and the final deposition of the project archive

The applicant will be expected to demonstrate that there is adequate consideration of funding in place to cover the full life cycle of the project.

The sale of artefacts to cover the cost of the project is not compatible with UK government policy and the text of the international agreement, and will not be permitted under any circumstances.

Provisional timetable

Outline the estimated duration for the project.

It is important that applicants specify when the project is expected to take place. This will help to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the planned work and will minimise the risk of operations occurring simultaneously.

As with funding, this section should detail the timeline for the full project, including the anticipated completion dates for all of the major milestones of the project, including:

• completion of fieldwork
• analysis and reporting
• the deposition of the project archive

Composition, qualifications and responsibilities of the team

Outline the skills and capabilities of members of the team that will contribute to the execution of a successful project.

It is essential that projects directed at the wreck of RMS Titanic are only undertaken by a highly experienced team. Recommendations to grant a licence will not be made without a detailed understanding of the skills and experience of the project participants.

It is recommended that project designs should include an outline of the key members of the project team, including details of similar projects that they have been involved with, as well as details of professional and academic qualifications.

The proposal for or results of all preliminary work

It is anticipated that projects directed at the wreck of RMS Titanic will have a relatively long planning and preparation process. The project design for accessing the wreck should ideally include a review of previous activity on the wreck site by both the applicant and other interested parties.

The project design should show how the proposed project fits into the wider framework of research and investigation directed at the site. Gaps in current understanding should be identified, so that research aims can be prioritised and the potential public benefit outlined.

Plans for post-field work, if applicable

The project design should identify what the data collected during the fieldwork will be used for. Specific research outputs and project products should be detailed in this section, along with an outline of who will be undertaking the assessment and analysis of the collected data.

A conservation and curation plan, if applicable

Outline the techniques to be used for recording, recovery and first aid conservation of any artefacts that will be recovered from the wreck site or the surrounding debris field. Permanent deposition and curation of artefacts must be arranged with an accredited archive repository. The repository must agree the retention strategy.

Guidance on caring for a range of objects and materials is available from the Institute of Conservation. Guidance may also be sought from Historic England’s conservation department.

Published guidance is available including Waterlogged Organic Artefacts: Guidelines on their Recovery, Analysis and Conservation.

Details of specialists who will undertake the assessment, analysis and conservation should also be outlined within the project design.

A documentation programme

In order for the wreck of RMS Titanic to be managed in accordance with its significance, it is essential that the licensing authority receives accurate reports on authorised activities.

Licensees are therefore required to submit a report, signed by the principal licensee, to the Department for Transport by the date specified in the licence conditions. Licensees should be aware that annual reports form part of the public archive of the wreck site.

Reports should contain information about the quality and outcomes of the project and requirements will vary between, for example, a licence issued to allow penetration of the hull and a licence issued to enable recovery of significant artefacts from the wreck and debris field.

It should be noted by the applicant that any material recovered from the wreck site and brought into UK territorial waters, will fall under the remit of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. It is a requirement that such material is reported to the Receiver of Wreck within 28 days of recovery.  

A safety policy

The project design will be expected to demonstrate a clearly laid out safety policy as well as providing details and copies of appropriate certification of any vessels and submersibles to be utilised during the project.

The project design will also be expected to identify the professional and legal requirements according to which the safety policy has been prepared, as well as how the safety policy will be followed throughout the project.

UK land-based project activities will be expected to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

In light of the tragic incident which took place over the wreck of RMS Titanic in 2023, it is especially important that the highest health and safety measures are in place before a project can take place and followed throughout the project.

Arrangements for collaboration with museums and other institutions, if applicable

A project will often include the involvement of multiple organisations and institutions. Early discussion with partner institutions is recommended in order to ensure that the full value of the opportunity is realised. Applicants may wish to consider partnering with educational and outreach organisations to ensure the widest possible reach and public dissemination of the project’s outcomes both during and after the fieldwork.

Report preparation, contents and dissemination

Describe the method for documenting the project. Where will the results of the project be made available? Project outputs can come in multiple formats, including academic publications and journal articles, non-technical publications suitable for the wider public, as well as through film and broadcast media. With the proliferation of social media, projects are increasingly being communicated to the public in ‘real time’, with daily updates or live-streamed access to being increasingly common.

A good project design should include a detailed communications plan. This will identify the key messages for the project, identify the target audiences and outline how the message about project progress will be communicated.

Some information may be considered confidential or embargoed until a set time. The communications plan will make this clear, so that information is not released too soon by any party involved with the project.

Anticipated disposition of archives, including artifacts, if applicable

Outline where the physical and digital products of the project will be archived. Digital data, including photographs, video footage and geophysical data should be deposited with the appropriate trusted digital repository.

Data management and archiving should be considered at the outset of a project and plans for both should be clearly set out in the project design. The archive is not just the physical material such as artefacts but also includes digital data collected.

For complex projects, a data management plan should be developed at the outset of the project. Thinking about managing your data at the outset of the project prevents many difficulties later on. The Archaeological Digital Archiving Protocol Toolkit (ADAPt) is a Historic England toolkit of templates, checklists, and pro-forma specifically designed to integrate archiving into the data creation process.

ADAPt should be seen as a guide through the processes of managing data from the development of a data management plan, through adopting conventions for file naming and folder structures, to the addition of metadata.

A programme for publication, if applicable

The investigation of the wreck site can reveal significant new information and licences are issued on the understanding that resulting information will be made available to others (forming part of the public archive for the wreck site). This requirement can be achieved in a variety of ways, including short report in a newsletter, published conference proceedings, full articles in academic journals, as well as in separate publications.

Further information about how to prepare a project design is set out in Historic England’s Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment: The MoRPHE Project Managers’ Guide.

Referees

Applicants are required to provide the names of 2 referees.

Historic England will contact referees during its consideration of the application.

Referees must be able to confirm the identity, experience, and qualifications of the applicant. The referee may also be asked to comment on the applicant’s adherence to the rules annexed to the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

Referees should not be named without their permission and must not be employees of Historic England or the Department for Transport.

Licence conditions

Licences will be granted with associated conditions, to which the applicant will be expected to adhere and discharge throughout the course of the project.

A licence can be revoked at any time, including on the grounds that any of the general or specific conditions are not complied with.

Standard licence conditions

These are the standard licence conditions. Additional conditions will be placed on a licence as necessary.

During the carrying out of licensed operations the licensee(s) must not tamper with or damage the wreck of RMS Titanic. No objects whatsoever may be recovered by them from the site with the exception of objects under immediate threat of significant harm or loss and only after consultation with and the approval of the Department for Transport.

The principal licensee submits a report on the progress of operations to the Department for Transport no later than [date].

Operations within the designated area must be carried out in accordance with the application and project design submitted to the Department for Transport dated [date].

The principal licensee must deposit a copy of the archive of the project at the [Archive name] and the digital archive should be deposited with a trusted digital repository.

All data must be made available to all researchers in a non-proprietary format on request i.e. raw data: TXT, CSV.

The licensee(s) must ensure that any objects recovered from the designated area and brought into the United Kingdom are reported to the Receiver of Wreck under the terms of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

The licensee must ensure that objects recovered from the designated area are subjected to a full programme of documentation, assessment, analysis and conservation treatment.

The licensee(s) must ensure that any samples recovered from the designated area are stored appropriately.

The licensee(s) must ensure that all activities conform to the Rules concerning activities aimed at RMS Titanic and/or its artifacts contained in the Schedule to the Protection of Wrecks (RMS Titanic) Order 2003.

The Licensee(s) must ensure that all activities conform to the rules annexed to the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

Anyone convicted of an offence under Article 6 of the order, or under comparable legislation outside England, which is not a spent offence within the meaning of section 1 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 may not operate under this licence, except in exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the Secretary of State.

You can see an example of a licence on the GOV.UK homepage for this guidance.

Duration of licences

A licence can cover an entire project, encapsulating multiple activities. It can be valid for a period of more than one year.

Reporting requirements

If a project is expected to run over a period of several years, then the licensee will be required to submit an annual report detailing progress to date, including outlining completed tasks and identifying tasks that remain outstanding.

Public access to findings

Licences are granted on the basis that information obtained as a result of authorised activity will be available and accessible to the public. Licensees are required to:

• deposit the project archive of work undertaken in relation to the wreck of RMS Titanic in an appropriate repository
• ensure that there are no copyright restraints upon third party use of such material for non-commercial purposes

Historic England’s role

Historic England’s role in the licensing process is to provide independent advice to the Department for Transport that is:

• in accordance with the rules annexed to the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage
• in line with the rules contained within the schedule to the Protection of Wrecks (RMS Titanic) Order 2003
• within the framework of its conservation principles

Historic England’s conservation principles are consistent with the Granada and Valetta conventions on the protection of archaeological heritage, both of which have been ratified by the United Kingdom, and can be summarised as follows:

• the historic environment is a shared resource
• everyone should be able to participate in sustaining the historic environment
• understanding the significance of places is vital
• significant places should be managed to sustain their values
• decisions about change must be reasonable, transparent and consistent
• documenting and learning from decisions is essential

Legal background

In 1997 Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America undertook negotiations to establish the Agreement concerning the Shipwrecked Vessel RMS Titanic.

The agreement was signed and ratified by the UK in 2003 and signed by the USA in 2004. The agreement required ratification by 2 of the 4 negotiating parties before it could come into effect. The agreement was ratified by the USA in November 2019, with the agreement formally coming into force as a result.

The agreement is implemented in UK domestic legislation by the Protection of Wrecks (RMS Titanic) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/2496).

The order gives the UK government the power to grant or deny licences authorising:

• entry to the hull sections of RMS Titanic
• the recovery of artefacts from within the wreck site and from the surrounding debris field

Contact and support

You can contact the DfT Wrecks Team at DfTWrecks@dft.gov.uk.