Gas Cylinder Rules in India

A business needs a storage licence (Form F) whenever it holds filled compressed-gas cylinders above the small own-use quantities exempted by rule 44 of the Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016. Rule 43(1) says "no cylinder filled with compressed gas shall be possessed by anyone except under and in accordance with the conditions of a licence granted under these rules." Any stock held for sale or trading needs a licence, whatever the size; only rule 44(c) lets an oil marketing company's LPG dealer or distributor keep up to 100 kg of LPG for sale without one.

Approach: The text of the Rules is not in our datasets (they hold only PESO's approval registers), so I read rules 43 to 55 in the official Gazette text on the PESO website, the June 2026 amendment, and PESO's 2024 FAQ. The PESO copy of the Rules is the 2016 text. I did not read each 2018 to July 2025 amendment, but the 2024 FAQ (which postdates the 2018 to 2022 ones) gives the same LPG limit.

When no licence is needed (rule 44)

Situation	Exempt up to ("at a time")
A carrier or other person holding filled cylinders to transport them under the Rules	No limit stated
Own use, not for sale or trading: flammable, non-toxic gas	25 cylinders or 200 kg of gas, whichever is less
Own use: non-flammable, non-toxic gas (for example nitrogen, argon, CO₂)	200 cylinders
Own use: toxic gas	5 cylinders
Own use: dissolved acetylene	25 cylinders
LPG (rule 44(c)): own use, distribution, or sale from a sales room belonging to an oil marketing company's dealer or distributor	100 kg of gas in total
LPG cylinders connected directly to a manifold at a working place	No licence, but the installation shall meet IS 6044 Part 1 and stay within its quantity limits

Rule 44(c) says the own-use limits in 44(b) "shall not be applicable" to LPG, so LPG is assessed against the 100 kg figure.

Practical triggers for a Form F licence:

• More cylinders or gas on site than the limits above, for example a 26th flammable-gas cylinder, more than 200 kg of flammable gas, or a 6th toxic-gas cylinder.
• Any storage for sale or trading, since the 44(b) exemptions cover only cylinders "for own use and not meant for sale or trading". The only exception is the LPG dealer allowance in 44(c).
• Importers: under rule 29(4), if imported filled cylinders exceed the rule 44 quantities, "licence to store compressed gas in cylinders granted in Form F is obligatory." The PESO FAQ also lists an Indian Form E&F or Form F licence among the documents needed for a Form D import licence.
• Filling cylinders always needs a licence (Form E); rule 44 exempts possession only.

Getting and keeping the licence

• Plan approval first (rule 47): submit plans to scale, in triplicate, showing the premises and everything within 100 m, with the scrutiny fee. After inspection, the licensing authority endorses the licence, and it comes into force on that date (rule 50(4)).
• Who grants it: the Chief Controller of Explosives or a Controller he authorises. Applications go in on Form C through the National Single Window System, according to the PESO FAQ.
• District Magistrate NOC: rule 48 required one for a Form F licence to store flammable, toxic or corrosive gases for sale or trading. The Gas Cylinders (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 447(E), 5 June 2026) omitted rule 48, so the PESO FAQ's NOC answers are out of date.
• Validity (rules 51 and 55): a licence runs to 30 September of its final year, for a maximum of 10 years, and can be renewed for up to 10 years at a time. If the renewal application reaches PESO by the expiry date, the licence is deemed to stay in force until PESO decides. An application up to three months late costs twice the normal fee.
• Changes: you cannot alter licensed premises without prior plan approval, and altered areas cannot be used until the licence is amended (rule 53).
• New Form F condition 8A (June 2026): for industrial gas cylinders, the licensing authority "may" permit higher stacking and narrower gangways if the cylinders are in certified racks or cages that meet national or international codes.
• Fees (Schedule V): Form F storage fees depend on gas type and quantity. For example, the non-toxic, non-flammable band is set at 500 cylinders, and LPG bands run from 100 kg upwards.

I can set out the full Schedule V fee bands for Form F, or the Form C document list.

Sources:

• Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016 (Gazette, G.S.R. 1081(E)), PESO: rules 29(4), 43, 44, 47, 48, 50, 51, 53, 55 and Schedule V (pp. 40-41, 72, 75-78)
• Gas Cylinders (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 447(E)
• PESO FAQ on Gas Cylinders Rules 2016 (2024)

Every cylinder and valve must be built to a type and standard in Schedule I, and the Chief Controller of Explosives (PESO) must approve it in advance on the strength of an inspecting authority's test and inspection certificates. Making cylinders, valves or LPG regulators needs a separate approval as a manufacturer. After that, no cylinder may be filled until it has been examined and passed a hydrostatic (or hydrostatic stretch) test and the other Schedule IV tests, at a PESO-recognised testing station, within the periods set by IS 15975. These are rules 3, 4, 35 and 36 of the Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016.

Approach: Our datasets hold PESO's approval registers but not the text of the Rules, so I read the official Gazette text (G.S.R. 1081(E)) on the PESO site and the November 2025 and April 2026 amendments. PESO's copy of the Rules is the original 2016 text, and I did not read each amendment from 2018 to July 2025.

1. Approval to fill, import, possess or transport (rule 3(1)–(3))

• Basic rule: no person shall fill a cylinder with compressed gas, or import, possess or transport one that is filled or meant to be filled, unless:

  • (a) the cylinder and its valve are built to a type and standard in Schedule I; and
  • (b) the inspecting authority's test and inspection certificates for the cylinder and valve have been given to the Chief Controller, and his prior approval obtained.

• What the application includes (rule 3(2)):

  • the number and serial numbers of the cylinders;
  • the manufacturer;
  • the cylinder and valve specifications;
  • any previous approval;
  • the cylinder and valve test certificates;
  • the Schedule V scrutiny fee. This is ₹1,000 for the first 100 cylinders plus ₹2,000 for each further 500, or ₹1,000 flat for export fills.

• What the inspecting authority's certificate must show (Schedule II):

  • For cylinders: specification, minimum wall thickness, heat treatment, design working pressure, the hydrostatic or stretch test pressure with a record for each cylinder, the pneumatic test result, tare weight and water capacity, and the chemical and physical properties of the steel.
  • For valves: the hydrostatic and pneumatic proof tests, tensile strength, elongation and the quantities accepted or rejected.

• Exception (rule 3(5)): cylinders that do not meet Schedule I may still be filled in three cases:

  • they are imported to be filled and shipped back to the country of origin;
  • they are supplied to foreign-going ships calling at Indian ports;
  • since G.S.R. 315(E) of 27 April 2026, they are cylinders and valves imported by Ministry of Defence establishments, the Department of Space and its PSUs for their own use.

  In all three cases, the cylinder must have passed its hydrostatic or stretch test within the prescribed period at the test pressure marked on it, and must not be overfilled.

2. Manufacturer approval (rule 3(3)–(4))

• Who needs it: anyone who wants to make cylinders, valves, LPG regulators attached to self-closing valves, multi-function valves or other fittings "shall obtain approval from the Chief Controller."
• The application: the Schedule III particulars, design drawings and calculations endorsed by the inspecting authority, and the scrutiny fee.
• Schedule III particulars include:
  • the manufacturing process and the quality-control checks at each stage;
  • test and NDT equipment (radiography, ultrasonic, dye-penetrant, magnetic particle);
  • the independent inspecting authority;
  • whether the unit holds ISO or equivalent certification.
• Procedure: the Chief Controller may allow a prototype to be produced. PESO technical officers and the inspecting authority may then evaluate the plant and witness the prototype's type tests. Approval is granted "initially for a period of one year", which may be extended once a satisfactory performance report is received.
• Foreign manufacturers:
  • PESO considers their proven track record, 10 years' manufacturing experience and wide market share.
  • They pay extra evaluation fees.
  • If approval is given without an inspection, permission is provisional until the plant is evaluated.
  • Their units are re-evaluated every five years.
• Fees (Schedule V):

	Indian maker	Foreign maker
First unit approval (one year)	₹10,000	₹6,50,000
New design	₹2,000	₹65,000
Design change	₹1,000	₹13,000
Annual renewal	₹2,000	₹32,500

3. Valve requirements (rules 4 and 7)

• Standards: valves "shall comply in all respects" with:

Cylinder or fitting	Standard
Industrial gas and CNG on-board cylinders	IS 3224
Medical gas cylinders	IS 3745
Breathing apparatus	IS 7302
LPG cylinders up to 5 litres	IS 8776
LPG cylinders over 5 litres	IS 8737
Auto-LPG containers	IS 15100
Small refrigerant cylinders	IS 12300
LPG regulators	IS 9798
Cryogenic containers	Codes accepted by the Chief Controller

The Chief Controller "may", in the public interest, permit non-conforming valves and regulators.

• CO₂ cylinder valves: must have a soft copper bursting disc that bursts between 200 and 220 kg/cm².
• Outlet threads: left-hand for flammable gases not listed in IS 3224; right-hand for all others.
• Fitting: the valve must be screwed into the cylinder neck, with no permanent attachment and no adapter in between. The spindle must not be removable in normal operation.
• Markings on the valve (rule 7):
  • specification;
  • month or quarter and year of manufacture;
  • maker's symbol;
  • working pressure;
  • gas name or symbol;
  • "L.H." for left-hand threads;
  • inspector's stamp;
  • dip-tube length, where a dip tube is fitted.
• Safety relief devices (rule 5):
  • on Indian-made cylinders, they must meet IS 5903;
  • on foreign cylinders, they are maintained to the original specification;
  • cylinders for obnoxious or poisonous gases (for example chlorine, phosgene, H₂S, HF and CO) shall not have any.
• Imported valves and regulators: need an approval or Form D licence (rule 29(2)). Since April 2026, Customs permission to land is not needed for valves and regulators from PESO-approved foreign plants that hold a valid Form D licence, or for empty cylinders without valves (rule 32(1) proviso).

4. Periodic examination and testing (rule 35, Schedule IV)

• The obligation (rule 35(1)): no person shall fill a cylinder unless it has been examined and given a hydrostatic or hydrostatic stretch test, plus the other Schedule IV tests, within the period in IS 15975 or as the Chief Controller approves in writing.
• Re-test due (rule 26): a cylinder that is due for re-test shall not be charged or transported until the re-test is done.
• After fire exposure (rule 24): a cylinder must be examined and hydrotested before use, and heat-treated first if the fire may have damaged the material. A fire-damaged dissolved acetylene cylinder is condemned outright.
• Test procedure (Schedule IV, Part B):
  1. Empty the cylinder safely, assuming it still holds gas. Use nitrogen purging to check for an obstructed valve.
  2. Clean it by steam or approved solvent. Rust is removed by shot blasting, wire brushing, or burn-out at 300 °C or less for no more than one hour.
  3. Examine it visually, outside and as far as practicable inside, to IS 5845, IS 8451, IS 13258 or ISO 11623.
  4. Pressure-test it:

Cylinder type	Test
Permanent gases, high-pressure liquefiable gases, all toxic and corrosive gases	Hydrostatic stretch test to IS 5844, pressure held for at least 30 seconds. Permanent stretch must not exceed 10% of total stretch.
Low-pressure non-corrosive liquefiable gases (for example LPG)	Hydrostatic test to IS 5844 by the non-jacket method, held for at least 30 seconds, without measuring volume change.
Cryogenic containers	Pneumatic test at 1.1 times design pressure.

Any pressure drop, leak, visible bulge or deformation counts as a failure.

5. Dry the cylinder and stamp the tester's code mark (registered with PESO) and the test date on the neck.
6. Record the test on the cylinder's history card: maker and owner, serial number, specification, test and working pressures, water capacity, any tare-weight variation, shell condition, gas and valve type.

• Markings that follow (rule 6): the cylinder carries the date of its last test and the testing station's code mark. LPG cylinders also show the quarter and year of the test. CNG cylinders and auto-LPG containers carry an expiry date.

5. Recognition of testing stations (rule 35(2)–(4), Schedule IV Part A)

• Applying: a testing station must provide the Schedule IV facilities and apply to the Chief Controller with the scrutiny fee: ₹10,000 the first time (one-year validity), then ₹2,000 a year.
• Facilities rule 35(3) requires: cylinder evacuation, neutralisation or scrubbing for toxic and corrosive gases, and condemnation.
• Degassing area:
  • a degassing and valve-opening platform of at least 3 × 3 m with water and cold flaring;
  • a 2 m industrial fence;
  • a 30 m clearance for LPG;
  • a vent stack at least 6 m high, 15 m away, for CNG, hydrogen and other flammable gases;
  • no more than five cylinders degassed at a time.
• Equipment:
  • IS 5844 hydrostatic rig measuring permanent volume change to 1/20,000 of capacity;
  • two pressure gauges of at least 15 cm, one used as the test gauge and one as the master gauge;
  • ultrasonic or acoustic-emission NDT;
  • a boroscope;
  • hardness tester;
  • stamped test weights;
  • a painting booth.
• Calibration: working gauges every month; master gauge every six months; weighing equipment checked daily; test weights every two years.
• Staff:
  • a manager qualified in mechanical or chemical engineering;
  • supervisors aged 21 or over with at least two years' testing experience;
  • trained operators.
• Quality system: stations testing seamless steel or composite cylinders must hold ISO quality-system certification.
• Validity: approval runs for one year at first and can be extended to up to 10 years. Extension requires a valid ISO accreditation certificate, the station's test records and the fee. The same applies to approval for hot repair or reconditioning of LPG and welded cylinders.

6. Repair and condemnation (rules 11, 12, 36)

• Seamless cylinders: no repair of body leaks.
• Welded or brazed cylinders:
  • a leak anywhere other than a seam means the cylinder shall be rendered unserviceable;
  • minor defects (dents, foot rings, valve guards) may be repaired by a certified welder at a maker's or PESO-approved premises;
  • after repair, the cylinder is heat-treated, radiographed if that was originally required, and re-tested as at manufacture;
  • it may not be refilled until PESO has the repair report and gives permission;
  • dissolved acetylene cylinders with weld-seam leaks may not be repaired.
• Condemnation (rule 36): a cylinder that fails the test, loses more than 5% of its tare weight, is otherwise unsafe, or has passed its service life "shall not be filled" and shall be destroyed to IS 8198. Destruction means flattening it, or cutting it so the pieces cannot be re-joined, after its markings are defaced and the owner is told. The testing station does this.
  • Service life is 20 years for CNG cylinders and 15 years for low-carbon-steel auto-LPG containers, unless the code says otherwise.
  • Closed history records are kept for two years and reported to PESO each quarter (1 January, April, July and October).
• Conversion to another gas (rule 28): needs Chief Controller approval. Inert gas, oxygen and air cylinders of the same design are exempt if converted under ISO 11621 with the owner's consent.

7. Who appears in PESO's approval registers

PESO publishes registers of approved makers and testing stations. Examples:

• CNG cylinder makers: Everest Kanto Cylinder Ltd, Tarapur ^[1].
• Safety-fitting makers: Fainger Leser Valves (P) Ltd, Mumbai, for safety relief valves ^[4].
• LPG cylinder testing stations: for example Bharat Cylinder Testing and Painting Centre, Jabalpur ^[2] and Vishal Testing and Services, Chennai ^[5].

The Rules note that PESO keeps the up-to-date list of all approvals on peso.gov.in.

I can pull a full list from any of these registers, for example every testing station recognised in a given state.

Sources:

• Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016 (Gazette, G.S.R. 1081(E)), PESO: rules 3–7, 11–12, 24, 26, 28, 29, 35–36 and Schedules II–V (English text, pp. 65–73, 88–92; Hindi Schedules I–III, pp. 29–35)
• Gas Cylinders (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2025, G.S.R. 839(E)
• Gas Cylinders (Amendment) Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 315(E)