diff --git a/.zenodo.json b/.zenodo.json
index 11f6453e..f4d5dcab 100644
--- a/.zenodo.json
+++ b/.zenodo.json
@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
 {
     "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
-    "copyright": "Copyright 1998-2025 Triad National Security, LLC",
+    "copyright": "Copyright 1998-2026 Triad National Security, LLC",
     "description": "View detailed release notes at https://github.com/CICE-Consortium/Icepack/releases", 
     "language": "eng", 
-    "title": "CICE-Consortium/Icepack: Icepack 1.5.2", 
+    "title": "CICE-Consortium/Icepack: Icepack 1.5.3", 
     "keywords": [
         "sea ice model",
         "Icepack"
     ], 
-    "version": "1.5.2", 
+    "version": "1.5.3", 
     "upload_type": "software", 
     "communities": [
         {
             "identifier": "cice-consortium"
         }
     ], 
-    "publication_date": "2025-08-15", 
+    "publication_date": "2026-01-22", 
     "creators": [
         {
             "affiliation": "Los Alamos National Laboratory", 
diff --git a/COPYRIGHT.pdf b/COPYRIGHT.pdf
index 2f37e495..6a8923c9 100644
Binary files a/COPYRIGHT.pdf and b/COPYRIGHT.pdf differ
diff --git a/columnphysics/icepack_intfc.F90 b/columnphysics/icepack_intfc.F90
index 243e896d..a1eb4f65 100644
--- a/columnphysics/icepack_intfc.F90
+++ b/columnphysics/icepack_intfc.F90
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 !=======================================================================
-! Copyright 1998-2025 Triad National Security, LLC
+! Copyright 1998-2026 Triad National Security, LLC
 ! All rights reserved.
 !
 ! This program was produced under U.S. Government contract 89233218CNA000001
diff --git a/columnphysics/version.txt b/columnphysics/version.txt
index cf3a4bb5..416c7139 100644
--- a/columnphysics/version.txt
+++ b/columnphysics/version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-ICEPACK 1.5.2
+ICEPACK 1.5.3
diff --git a/configuration/driver/icedrv_MAIN.F90 b/configuration/driver/icedrv_MAIN.F90
index 6f8a6dd2..becd6386 100644
--- a/configuration/driver/icedrv_MAIN.F90
+++ b/configuration/driver/icedrv_MAIN.F90
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 !=======================================================================
-! Copyright 1998-2025, Triad National Security, LLC
+! Copyright 1998-2026, Triad National Security, LLC
 ! All rights reserved.
 !
 ! This program was produced under U.S. Government contract 89233218CNA000001
diff --git a/configuration/driver/icedrv_step.F90 b/configuration/driver/icedrv_step.F90
index f25c3c9b..f43d5a78 100644
--- a/configuration/driver/icedrv_step.F90
+++ b/configuration/driver/icedrv_step.F90
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ subroutine step_therm2 (dt)
 
       logical (kind=log_kind) :: &
          tr_fsd  ! floe size distribution tracers
-      
+
       character (len=char_len) :: &
          wave_height_type ! type of significant wave height forcing
 
diff --git a/doc/source/conf.py b/doc/source/conf.py
index 6eea3f9e..ea7ec494 100644
--- a/doc/source/conf.py
+++ b/doc/source/conf.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 
 # General information about the project.
 project = u'Icepack'
-copyright = u'1998-2025, Triad National Security, LLC (code) and National Center for Atmospheric Research (documentation)'
+copyright = u'1998-2026, Triad National Security, LLC (code) and National Center for Atmospheric Research (documentation)'
 author = u'CICE-Consortium'
 
 # The version info for the project you're documenting, acts as replacement for
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@
 # built documents.
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = u'1.5.2' 
+version = u'1.5.3' 
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-version = u'1.5.2' 
+version = u'1.5.3' 
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/doc/source/intro/copyright.rst b/doc/source/intro/copyright.rst
index 420a6ca2..d359d19a 100755
--- a/doc/source/intro/copyright.rst
+++ b/doc/source/intro/copyright.rst
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 Copyright
 =============================
 
-© Copyright 1998-2025, Triad National Security, LLC
+© Copyright 1998-2026, Triad National Security, LLC
 All rights reserved.
 
 This program was produced under U.S. Government contract 89233218CNA000001 for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), which is operated by Triad National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. All rights in the program are reserved by Triad National Security, LLC, and the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government is granted for itself and others acting on its behalf a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable worldwide license in this material to reproduce, prepare. derivative works, distribute copies to the public, perform publicly and display publicly, and to permit others to do so.