Mine permitting guidance documents
Last updated on February 28, 2025Guidance documents assist mining clients with their permit application and requirements. They are for information only and are not considered legal advice.
Mining legislation
Key legislation and regulations for mineral exploration and mining in B.C.
Local government
Proponents should check with local governments for any bylaws or plans that may impact their project.
Local governments and community associations often participate in application reviews and are connected to community interest groups and other stakeholders.
Health, Safety and Reclamation Code guidance
Code guidance documents provide more detail about specific Code requirements. The purpose of these documents is to help the mining industry meet the Code requirements.
Guidance documents by activity type for regional mines
- Annual reporting
- Code required reports - activities conducted over the previous year
- Permit required reports - planned activities for the coming year
- Archaeology permits
- Details about sites and instructions to apply for permits
- Compliance and enforcement
- Policy followed by inspectors to address mining compliance and enforcement concerns
- Crown land policies (Licence of Occupation)
- Guidelines that control the handling and management of Crown land
- Cumulative effects framework
- Policy, procedures and decision-support tools that complement current land management practices in natural resource decision-making
- Deemed authorizations
- Certain mining exploration activities are deemed authorized under existing permits
- Engineering plans (PDF, 4.4MB)
- Table 6.2 details engineering design guidance based on terrain stability classification
- Environmental assessment
- Large projects may require environmental assessment if the project meets regulatory thresholds
- Erosion and sediment control plan
- Documents to help develop erosion and sediment control practices in alignment with the Environmental Management Act
- Developing a Mining Erosion And Sediment Control Plan (PDF, 1.03MB)
- User Guide for Developing a Mining Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (PDF, 360KB)
- Explosives magazine storage and use
- Permit required to store and use explosives on site
- Fuel storage guidelines
- General guidance on handling, transportation and storage of fuel.
- Fugitive dust management plan (FDMP) (PDF, 233KB)
- This plan is required where mining activities have the potential to generate dust, which may impact the environment and/or human health
- Handbook for mineral and coal exploration in British Columbia (PDF, 4.4MB)
- Working field guide on safety, environmental protection requirements, and reclamation security calculations
- Import of materials on a mine site (PDF, 244KB)
- The receipt, storage, treatment/processing and use of imported materials on a mine site requires the approval of the Chief Permitting Officer, or their delegate, through an amendment of the mine’s Mines Act permit.
- Industrial camps
- Exploration camps are subject to the Public Health Act and Industrial Camp Regulation
- Landowner notification
- Instructions for notification to landowners about proposed mineral and coal exploration activities
- Metal leaching and acid rock drainage
- Guidelines for water treatment plans prior to discharge to the environment
- Mine emergency response plans (MERP)
- The Province has developed a MERP guideline document that suggests approaches for preparing, training, and organizing personnel for managing a mine emergency operation.
- Mineral and coal exploration Notice of Work application companion (PDF, 14.2MB)
- How to prepare for, complete and submit a NoW application
- Multi-year area-based permitting for mineral and coal exploration activities
- Multi-Year Area-Based Permitting Policy for Mineral and Coal Exploration Activities (PDF, 851KB)
- Multi-Year Area Based Permitting Proponent Guide for Mineral and Coal Exploration (PDF, 175KB)
- ​Multi-year area-based work program annual update form (PDF, 184KB) - planned activities for the coming year
- Reclamation and closure plan (PDF, 1MB)
- Guidance on the development of a site-specific reclamation and closure plan for regional mine projects in B.C.
- Reclamation securities
- Regional mine reclamation bond calculator guidance document
- Transport of logs from fee simple land
- ​A private timber mark is required to transport logs from privately-owned land
- Tree clearing - free use permit
- Permits for clearing small amounts of trees (up to 50m3) for mining work
- Tree clearing - occupant license to cut
- Permits for clearing larger amounts of trees (more than 50m3)
- Waste discharge authorization
- Permission to discharge waste from a work site
- Water licensing and rights
- Water use exemptions - Exemption from approval or notification
- Water policies - Polices to help guide the management of B.C.'s water resources
- Wildlife
- Mountain caribou
- Wildlife management planning
- Including site and species specific mitigation measures can help the NoW review process
- Use Explore by Location to determine overlaps
- Wildlife permit
- A general wildlife permit may be required in certain instances, such as, beaver dam removal; possess, take or destroy a birds nest and/or egg; or wildlife removal and salvage
- Annual reporting
- Permit required reports - planned activities for the coming year
- Archaeology permits
- Details about sites and instructions to apply for permits
- Fuel storage guidelines
- General guidance on handling, transportation and storage of fuel.
- Import of materials on a mine site (PDF, 244KB)
- The receipt, storage, treatment/processing and use of imported materials on a mine site requires the approval of the Chief Permitting Officer, or their delegate, through an amendment of the mine’s Mines Act permit.
- Landowner notification
- Instructions for notification to landowners about proposed mineral and coal exploration activities
- Mine emergency response plans (MERP)
- The Province has developed a MERP guideline document that suggests approaches for preparing, training, and organizing personnel for managing a mine emergency operation.
- Placer discharge regulation
- How to properly dispose of placer wastewater
- Placer mining best practices (PDF, 1MB)
- Technical guidance for placer mining best management practices
- Reclamation and closure plan (PDF, 1MB)
- Guidance on the development of a site-specific reclamation and closure plan for Regional Mine projects in B.C.
- Reclamation securities
- Regional mine reclamation bond calculator guidance document
- Soil and fill notice of intent
- Removing or placing soil on agricultural reserve land
- Tree clearing - free use permit
- Permits for clearing small amounts of trees (up to 50m3) for mining work
- Tree clearing - occupant license to cut
- Permits for clearing larger amounts of trees (more than 50m3)
- Water intake fish screen guidelines
- Guidelines to set up screens on a water intake system to protect fish
- Waste discharge authorization
- Permission to discharge waste from a work site
- ​Water licensing and rights
- Water use exemptions - Exemption from approval or notification
- Water policies - Polices to help guide the management of B.C.'s water resources
- Works in and about a stream
- Authorization to do work in or near a stream
- Aggregate mine application guide (PDF, 950KB)
- A guide to preparing mine permit applications for aggregate pits and quarries
- Archaeology permits
- Details about sites and instructions to apply for permits
- Code required reports
- Mine Plan Update policy (PDF, 351KB) provides guidance on the information requirements for a permit amendment to a regional mine authorized for mining activities for more than five years.
- Cross section samples (PDF, 4.1MB)
- Examples of drawing submissions for gravel pits
- Crown land uses (Licence of Occupation)
- Guidelines that control the handling and management of Crown land
- Environmental assessment
- Large aggregate projects may require environmental assessment if the project meets regulatory thresholds
- Explosives magazine storage and use
- Permit required to store and use explosives on site
- Fuel storage guidelines
- General guidance on handling, transportation and storage of fuel
- Fugitive dust management plan (FDMP) (PDF, 233KB)
- This plan is required where mining activities have the potential to generate dust, which may impact the environment and/or human health
- Health and Safety, A practical guide for aggregate operations (PDF, 4.9MB)
- Guidelines for safe operations and healthy workers at aggregate mining operation sites
- Import of materials on a mine site (PDF, 244KB)
- The receipt, storage, treatment/processing and use of imported materials on a mine site requires the approval of the Chief Permitting Officer, or their delegate, through an amendment of the mine’s Mines Act permit.
- Mine emergency response plans (MERP)
- The Province has developed a MERP guideline document that suggests approaches for preparing, training, and organizing personnel for managing a mine emergency operation.
- Notice of filing public advertising, shown on:
- Reclamation and closure plan (PDF, 1MB)
- Guidance on the development of a site-specific reclamation and closure plan for Regional Mine projects in B.C.
- Reclamation securities
- Regional mine reclamation bond calculator guidance document
- Soil and fill notice of intent
- Removing or placing soil on agricultural reserve land. Mines Act Permit will not be issued until an Agricultural Land Commission decision has been released
- Soil or fill uses in the ALR (PDF, 204KB)
- Reclamation plans for aggregate extraction (PDF, 235KB)
- Transport of logs from fee simple land
- A private timber mark is required to transport logs from privately-owned land
- Tree clearing - free use permit
- Permits for clearing small amounts of trees (up to 50m3) for mining work
- Tree clearing - occupant license to cut
- Permits for clearing larger amounts of trees (more than 50m3)
- Waste discharge authorization
- Permission to discharge waste from a work site
- ​Water licensing and rights
- Water use exemptions - Exemption from approval or notification
- Water policies - Polices to help guide the management of B.C.'s water resources
- Wildlife permit
- A general wildlife permit may be required in certain instances, such as, beaver dam removal; possess, take or destroy a birds nest and/or egg; or wildlife removal and salvage
- Archaeology permits
- Details about sites and instructions to apply for permits
- Code required reports
-
- Mine Plan Update policy (PDF, 351KB) provides guidance on the information requirements for a permit amendment to a regional mine authorized for mining activities for more than five years.
- Cross section samples
- Examples of drawing submissions for quarries​
- Crown land uses
- ​Guidelines that control the handling and management of Crown land
- Explosives magazine storage and use
- Permit required to store and use explosives on site
- Fuel storage guidelines
- General guidance on handling, transportation and storage of fuel.
- Import of materials on a mine site (PDF, 244KB)
- The receipt, storage, treatment/processing and use of imported materials on a mine site requires the approval of the Chief Permitting Officer, or their delegate, through an amendment of the mine’s Mines Act permit.
- Metal leaching and acid rock drainage
- Guidelines for water treatment plans prior to discharge to the environment
- Reclamation and closure plan (PDF, 1MB)
- Guidance on the development of a site-specific reclamation and closure plan for Regional Mine projects in B.C.
- Reclamation securities
- Regional mine reclamation bond calculator guidance document
- Soil and fill notice of intent
- Removing or placing soil on agricultural reserve land
- Tree clearing - occupant license to cut
- Permits for clearing larger amounts of trees (more than 50m3)
- Waste discharge authorization
- Permission to discharge waste from a work site
- Water use exemptions
- Water use exemptions for Mines Act permit holders
Guidance documents by interested party
- Guide to Involving Proponents When Consulting First Nations (PDF, 362KB)
- The purpose of this document is to provide operational guidance to Provincial decision makers and staff respecting the role of proponents in consultation. It is to be used in conjunction with the Updated Procedures for Meeting Legal Obligations When Consulting First Nations. Forest and Range Practices Act and the Environmental Assessment Act.
- Early Engagement Planning Tool, AMEBC
- This tool provides practical advice on how to create an effective plan for engagement with Indigenous peoples in British Columbia.
- Consulting with First Nations
- As the government develops its relationships with First Nations to advance reconciliation, companies looking for investment and growth opportunities in B.C. have important relationships to consider building as well. Environmental protection, natural resource stewardship
MineSpace
MineSpace is an application for industry to manage applications, view permits and inspection history, and submit reports. Login using your BCeID.
Contact information
- Regional mines offices
- Mines incident reporting
- Mines inquiries and complaints
- Geological survey
- Major mines
- Mine health and safety
- Mines auditing
- Mineral titles