What a PESO certificate is and how to apply and check status
A PESO certificate is a licence or approval from India's Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation. Which one you need, how to apply, how to check it.
A "PESO certificate" is the everyday name for a licence or approval from India's Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). The phrase has no official full form, and PESO does not issue one document under that name. PESO issues different licences and approvals, so the document depends on the activity: a fuel station, a CNG station, flameproof equipment or an explosives store (PESO activities).
When a customer or supplier mentions a PESO certificate, ask which licence or approval it is and note its number.
PESO full form and offices
PESO stands for Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation. The homepage spells the last word Organization. It is the nodal agency for explosives, compressed gases and petroleum (PESO). PESO sits in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) oversees it (PIB, 11 June 2026).
The head office is at "A" Block, 5th Floor, CGO Complex, Seminary Hills, Nagpur 440006. Address letters to the "Chief Controller of Explosives", not an officer by name (PESO circular, 10.07.2026). There are nine circle offices: Agra, Bhopal, Chennai, Faridabad, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Vadodara, plus sub-circle offices below them (PESO).
Which PESO certificate you need
The current rule sets are the Petroleum Rules 2002, Calcium Carbide Rules 1987, Gas Cylinders Rules 2016, SMPV (U) Rules 2016, Explosives Rules 2008 and Ammonium Nitrate Rules 2012 (PESO, application status).
| Activity or product | What you get from PESO |
|---|---|
| Petrol and diesel fuel station | Form XIV licence to store petroleum with a pump outfit, from the circle or sub-circle office |
| Petroleum installation, tank lorry | Form XV to import and store in an installation (head office for a PSU oil company, a circle office for others); Form XI to carry petroleum by road |
| Gas filling plant, CNG station, cylinder store | Licence under the Gas Cylinders Rules 2016 |
| Cylinders, valves, LPG regulators, pressure vessels | Design approval and approval of the fabrication shop |
| Flameproof and intrinsically safe equipment | Approval of Ex electrical apparatus, from the Nagpur head office |
| Explosives, fireworks factories and shops | Plan approval and licence under the Explosives Rules 2008 |
Sources: Petroleum Rules SOP, PESO activities, PESO role and responsibilities.
A "PESO container" question about ISO tank containers points to the SMPV (U) Rules 2016: Form LS-2A for a container made in India or imported empty for use in India, Form LS-2B for one imported filled and returned, or imported empty, filled in India and exported (PESO SMPV SOP).
Small stocks of petroleum may need no licence at all. Class C petroleum (flash point 65 °C and above, but below 93 °C) in bulk up to 45,000 litres is one case. That stock can still need a prior report to the circle office. Form XII (Class A up to 300 litres) and Form XIII (Class B up to 25,000 litres) come from the District Authority, and so does the Rule 144 NOC (Petroleum Rules SOP).
How to get a PESO certificate online
PESO has two portals. PESO Online covers the Petroleum, Calcium Carbide, Gas Cylinders and SMPV (U) Rules. Explosives Online covers the Explosives Rules 2008 and Ammonium Nitrate Rules 2012 (PESO, application status). For a Petroleum Rules licence, PESO's FAQ says to register first on the National Single Window System, which takes you to PESO's site to choose the form for approval, grant or renewal (Petroleum Rules FAQ).
Under the Gas Cylinders Rules, get prior approval before you build the premises (GCR FAQ).
A Form XIV fuel station needs plan approval, then the licence. Together the stages call for Form IX, a signed covering letter, land-possession and CPCB undertakings, the Rule 144 NOC, drawings of protected works within 100 m, a Rule 126 tank test certificate and a Rule 130 safety certificate. The officer can ask for more (Petroleum Rules SOP).
An automotive fuels station can file one combined application on PESO Online under the Petroleum, Gas Cylinders and SMPV (U) Rules. Pick the categories and capacities, print the forms, upload the signed copies, pay the fee on screen, then save and submit (PESO combined application guideline).
For Ex equipment, an Indian maker sends a test certificate, test report and certified drawing from a lab recognised by the Chief Controller, or an IECEx certificate with its report and drawing. The scrutiny fee is Rs 2,000 per certificate. A foreign maker applies through an Indian service provider or distributor it has authorised in writing. An EU-based maker can use an EU Type Examination Certificate, sent with the QA notification and declaration of conformity. A maker outside the EU needs an IECEx certificate (Ex apparatus SOP).
How to check PESO licence or application status
For your own application, log in to PESO Online or Explosives Online and open "Application Status", "Granted/Discrepancy", "Discrepancy/Interview Letter" or "View Letter" (PESO, application status).
To check someone else's licence, use the PESO Public Domain search. It needs no login, only a captcha, so a search for "peso public domain login" will not find a login page. Pick General or Status, then the rule, the form and an action such as LICENCE or RENEWAL DUE NEXT 2 MONTHS. Certificate number is optional.
A search for "peso online cng certificate" is a different lookup. Cylinder testing stations issue CNG cylinder test certificates through PESO's online test certificate module. That login is for the stations, not vehicle owners. Rule 35 of the Gas Cylinders Rules 2016 says a cylinder must not be filled once its periodic test is due. To check an on-board CNG certificate, open Public Domain, choose Status, then Gas Cylinders Rules, then Form Action "Search CNG Certificate by Vehicle Number" (PESO circular, 07.07.2026).
Validity and renewal
Gas Cylinders Rules licences run for one to 10 years. If the renewal application reaches PESO on or before the expiry date, the licence stays in force until PESO renews it or writes that renewal is refused (GCR FAQ). Licences under the Ammonium Nitrate Rules, Explosives Rules and SMPV (U) Rules went from five years to ten through notifications in April to June 2025 (PIB, 11 June 2026).
A still-valid IS/IEC or IECEx approval runs until the product standard changes, other than base standard 60079-0, or the design changes. A still-valid EU-made ATEX approval, and an EN 13617-1 fuel dispenser approval run until the standard or the design changes. An expired approval, a trial approval or an ATEX approval for a maker outside the EU does not. Those need a fresh approval on expiry (PESO circular, 10.09.2025).
For a cited summary of which certificate applies, how to apply and how to check status, see RegAffairs AI's answer on PESO certificates.
Common mistakes
- A lab test certificate or an IECEx certificate supports the application. It doesn't replace PESO approval (Ex apparatus SOP).
- Skipping the prior report because the stock needs no licence. Class C petroleum up to 45,000 litres can still need one (Petroleum Rules SOP).
- Don't take a limit from an old copy of the rules. In July 2026 PESO asked for comments on a review of the Explosives Act 1884 and the Explosives, Gas Cylinders, SMPV (U), Petroleum, Ammonium Nitrate and Calcium Carbide Rules (PESO circular, 10.07.2026).