Gas cylinder rules in India for storage, testing and use
India's gas cylinder rules cover approvals, filling, storage and testing. Check the official PDF, baseline storage exemptions and later amendments.
India's Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016 cover compressed-gas cylinder approvals, filling, possession, transport and periodic testing. Storage licensing depends on the gas, quantity and purpose of possession, with separate provisions for LPG. The starting text is the official 2016 rules, read with applicable amendments.
For industrial users, suppliers and warehouse managers, the first task is to separate equipment approval from site licensing. An approved cylinder does not establish permission to fill cylinders or operate a storage site. These are different requirements under the rules.
Where to find the gas cylinder rules 2016 PDF
PESO provides the Gas Cylinder Rules 2016 bilingual PDF. Use that official download for the original rules. The file is not labelled as a consolidated edition incorporating later changes.
The rules sit under the Explosives Act, 1884 and superseded the 2004 rules. If you searched for "gas cylinder act" or "gas cylinders rules 2004 PDF", start with the 2016 instrument and then check amendments. An old 1981 or 2004 PDF is not a substitute for that review.
The original rules and later changes are separate documents. PESO publishes pages for the 2026 Amendment Rules and 2026 Second Amendment Rules. A downloaded 2016 PDF alone cannot establish the current requirements for a business. Keep the original rules and relevant amendments together during the review.
Equipment approval and premises licences are separate
Rule 3 sets the baseline for approved cylinders and valves. It addresses the types and standards in Schedule I, inspection and test certificates, and prior Chief Controller approval for covered activities. Those activities include filling, import, possession and transport. Check the provisions that apply to the equipment and activity, rather than treating this as an exception-free rule for every case. See rule 3.
Manufacturing cylinders, valves, specified LPG regulators and fittings has separate approval requirements under rule 3. A manufacturer's approval does not replace the licences needed for a filling or storage site. Valve requirements also depend on the gas and cylinder application under rule 4.
For premises, rule 43 regulates filling and possession of filled compressed-gas cylinders through licences. Form E covers filling, while Form F covers storage. Rule 44 then provides specified possession exemptions. Check equipment approval and premises licensing separately when reviewing a proposed operation. For a business that both fills and stores cylinders, review both activities instead of assuming one permission covers the site. The relevant rules and forms answer different questions.
Gas cylinder storage rules and baseline exemptions
Rule 44 of the original 2016 text contains the following possession exemptions. The table shows the original limits and conditions, which must be read with later amendments. Before relying on an exemption, check applicable amendments and the conditions for your installation against the official rules.
| Gas category | Baseline possession limit | Conditions attached to the exemption |
|---|---|---|
| Flammable, non-toxic gas | Up to 25 cylinders or 200 kg of gas, whichever is less | At a time, for own use, not sale or trading |
| Non-flammable, non-toxic gas | Up to 200 cylinders | At a time, for own use, not sale or trading |
| Toxic gas | Up to 5 cylinders | At a time, for own use, not sale or trading |
| Dissolved acetylene | Up to 25 cylinders | At a time, for own use, not sale or trading |
| LPG | Up to 100 kg of gas at a time | Separate provision for own use, distribution or sale from a qualifying oil-marketing-company dealer/distributor salesroom |
Source: rule 44, Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016. The LPG row is subject to its specific wording, not a general allowance for every retailer.
Both limits matter in the flammable, non-toxic gas row. Being below 25 cylinders does not establish an exemption if the gas quantity exceeds 200 kg. The words "whichever is less" prevent businesses from choosing the more generous limit. The four non-LPG rows require own use, not sale or trading. See rule 44(b).
The table is not exhaustive. Rule 44(a) also addresses possession by carriers in transport, but that exemption does not remove transport duties. Nor does a possession exemption authorise cylinder filling. Assess the planned activity under rules 43 and 44, rather than relying on the stock count alone.
LPG cylinder storage needs a separate check
Do not apply the generic flammable-gas row to LPG. Rule 44(c) deals with LPG separately and disapplies the generic provision. Its salesroom wording is specific, so a retailer cannot assume that holding less than 100 kg automatically qualifies. Check the full LPG provision against the proposed use and premises.
There is also a separate proviso for LPG cylinders connected directly to a manifold at a working place. It is subject to IS 6044 Part 1 and its quantity limits. A manifold is therefore not an unlimited storage exemption. Check both the proviso and the applicable standard before relying on it.
Gas cylinder safety precautions and testing
A storage-licence exemption does not remove equipment, testing or safe-handling duties. For day-to-day checks, start with the cylinder's test status and the requirements for the gas involved. The 2016 rules address these duties separately from the possession exemptions.
- Check marked test status before arranging filling or movement. Rule 26 restricts charging and transporting cylinders due for retest.
- Apply the correct periodic examination and testing requirements under rule 35. The period depends on IS 15975 or written Chief Controller approval, rather than one interval for every cylinder.
- Check the testing station's approval for the work concerned. Recognised testing stations have their own approval requirements.
- Do not refill cylinders that fail testing or are otherwise unsafe. Rules 6 and 36 address identification, markings and condemnation.
These checks come from rules 6, 26, 35 and 36 and Schedule IV. They are not instructions for performing a cylinder test.
For handling and storage, the rules address upright positioning of LPG and other liquefiable-gas cylinders, ignition sources around flammable gas, and segregation of incompatible categories. Treat these as starting checks, not a complete site-design checklist. Use the applicable provisions for the installation rather than copying a generic distance or stacking limit.
Transport requires a separate review of Schedule VI. A storage exemption is not permission to move cylinders without checking transport requirements.
Check amendments before using an old checklist
Older approval and storage checklists need particular care. Read them against the Second Amendment Rules, 2026 before deciding which NOC or installation requirements apply. Do not treat older NOC advice in the 2024 PESO FAQ as overriding a later instrument.
The same care applies to scope. Check the cylinder definition against the 2025 amendment, rather than using an old capacity ceiling as a universal test. Also distinguish enacted amendments from draft notifications on PESO's statutory menu. A draft is not binding merely because PESO hosts it.
RegAffairs AI's answer on India's gas cylinder rules brings together the licensing, approval and testing questions.
For a site review, record the gas, maximum stock at one time and purpose of possession. Then check the relevant licence provision, exemption conditions and amendments. Under the baseline rule 44, quantity alone does not establish eligibility for a possession exemption.