Fuel and energy compliance deadlines in South Africa — site licences, verification and excise

A licensed fuel retailer in South Africa is carrying at least four separate compliance clocks at once: the site and retail licence issued under the Petroleum Products Act 120 of 1977, an annual retail information return to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, periodic legal metrology verification of every dispensing pump by the NRCS, and — where diesel refunds are claimed — SARS filing and rate-change dates. None of these run on the same calendar, so missing one rarely shows up until an inspection or an audit.

Reviewed by TefCo Compliance Research — last verified 15 September 2026.

In short

Site and retail licences under the Petroleum Products Act 120 of 1977 do not expire on a fixed date — they run for as long as the business operates — but the retailer must submit an annual retail licence information return using form DMRE/DMPR 33 [1](https://www.gov.za/services/petroleum/petroleum-site-and-retail-licence).
A site or retail licence application must be decided within 90 days of the Department receiving proof that the notice of application was published [1](https://www.gov.za/services/petroleum/petroleum-site-and-retail-licence).
Fuel dispensing pumps are prescribed measuring instruments under the Legal Metrology Act 9 of 2014 and must be verified by an NRCS-designated verification body against the R117 liquid fuel dispenser requirements [3](https://www.nrcs.org.za/compulsory-specifications/technical-regulations).
The general fuel levy, carbon fuel levy and RAF levy on petrol and diesel change on 1 April most years following the February Budget — confirm the current cents-per-litre rate with SARS before pricing or claiming refunds [5](https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-02-25-budget-2026-godongwana-hikes-fuel-levies/).

Licensing timeline: site licence, retail licence, annual return

Selling petroleum products to the public requires both a site licence and a retail licence from the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (formerly DMRE), applied for on form DMPR 39 under the Petroleum Products Site and Retail Licences Regulations made under the Petroleum Products Act 120 of 1977 [1](https://www.gov.za/services/petroleum/petroleum-site-and-retail-licence) [2](https://www.dmpr.gov.za/Services/Petroleum-Resources/Petroleum-Licensing-Resources).

After lodging the application, the Department requires the applicant to publish a notice of application in four newspapers and to submit proof of that publication. The 90-day decision clock only starts once that proof is submitted, not from the original application date [1](https://www.gov.za/services/petroleum/petroleum-site-and-retail-licence).

Once licensed, the licence itself does not carry an expiry date, but the retailer must submit the Retail Licence Annual Information return (form DMPR 33) every year, and pay the associated fee, to stay current on the Department's records [1](https://www.gov.za/services/petroleum/petroleum-site-and-retail-licence) [2](https://www.dmpr.gov.za/Services/Petroleum-Resources/Petroleum-Licensing-Resources).

Petroleum site and retail licensing — dates that matter
Step	Timing	Source
Application for site/retail licence (DMPR 39)	Lodged with DMPR regional office; no fixed annual window	Petroleum Products Act 120 of 1977, section 2B; Notice R.286 of 2006
Newspaper notice of application	Published in 4 newspapers on the Department's instruction, before a decision is made	gov.za — petroleum site and retail licence
Decision on application	Within 90 days of the Department receiving proof of publication	gov.za — petroleum site and retail licence
Retail licence annual information return (DMPR 33)	Annually, for as long as the retail licence is held	gov.za — petroleum site and retail licence

Application fees quoted by the Department were R1 000 for a site licence and R500 for a retail licence, with R500 for the annual retail information submission — confirm current fees with your DMPR regional office before paying, as gazetted fees can change.

NRCS legal metrology verification of dispensing pumps

Fuel dispensers are measuring instruments regulated under the Legal Metrology Act 9 of 2014 and the Legal Metrology Regulations, GN 877 of 24 August 2018 [4](https://www.nrcs.org.za/Documents/Legislation/Legal%20Metrology%20Regulation%20No%20877%20of%2024%20August%202018%20gg41854_nn877.pdf). The NRCS designates verification and repair bodies to test and seal pumps against the technical requirements for liquid fuel dispensers (referenced as R117 in NRCS training and policy material) [3](https://www.nrcs.org.za/compulsory-specifications/technical-regulations) [6](https://www.nrcs.org.za/LMDocuments/NRCS%20LM%20Training%20Schedule%202026.pdf).

A verified pump carries a verification mark and seal. Selling fuel through an unverified, out-of-date or tampered pump is an offence under the Legal Metrology Act, and inspectors can and do pull dispensers out of service on site.

The exact re-verification interval for liquid fuel dispensers is set in NRCS technical policy (referenced as LM-P-003-06-08 and the R117 requirements), not in a single easily quoted number of months. Confirm the current re-verification period for your class of dispenser directly with your NRCS-designated verification body before relying on any interval quoted elsewhere.

SARS: fuel levy changes and diesel refund dates

The general fuel levy, the carbon fuel levy and the Road Accident Fund levy are usually adjusted with effect from 1 April following the National Budget in February. In the 2026 Budget, the Minister of Finance announced the general fuel levy would rise to R4.10 per litre for petrol and R3.93 per litre for diesel, the carbon fuel levy to 19c (petrol) and 23c (diesel), and the RAF levy to R2.25 per litre, all effective 1 April 2026 [5](https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-02-25-budget-2026-godongwana-hikes-fuel-levies/). These figures change most years — always confirm the current rate on the SARS excise duty and levy tables before invoicing or budgeting.

SARS is modernising the Diesel Refund System, moving registration and claims for eligible diesel users off the VAT system and onto a standalone platform; SARS announced in December 2025 that the new registration system would open later than first planned [7](https://www.sars.gov.za/customs-and-excise/excise/diesel-refund-system/).

For onland primary-sector claimants (farming, forestry, mining), SARS increased the eligible diesel refund from 80% to 100% with effect from 1 April 2026, reflected from the May 2026 VAT return onward [8](https://www.sars.gov.za/latest-news/adjustment-to-diesel-refund-for-onland-users-in-farming-forestry-and-mining-sectors/) [9](https://www.sars.gov.za/latest-news/excise-increase-in-diesel-refund-claims-from-80-to-100/).

NERSA licences for gas and electricity operators

Businesses that construct or operate piped-gas facilities need a licence from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa under the Gas Act 48 of 2001, and NERSA also licenses generation, transmission, distribution, import/export and trading of electricity under the Electricity Regulation Act [10](https://www.nersa.org.za/piped-gas/overview) [11](https://www.nersa.org.za/electricity/overview). Licence terms, conditions and any renewal timing are set per licence — check your own licence document and NERSA's current licensing notices rather than assuming a standard renewal date, since NERSA licenses each facility individually.

Frequently asked

Does a petroleum site licence expire?

No fixed expiry date is published — the site and retail licence remains valid for as long as the business operates, but the licensee must submit the annual retail licence information return each year to stay in good standing with the Department [1](https://www.gov.za/services/petroleum/petroleum-site-and-retail-licence).

How often must a fuel dispenser be re-verified by the NRCS?

Liquid fuel dispensers fall under NRCS legal metrology technical requirements (R117) and must be verified by a designated verification body before use and re-verified at intervals set in NRCS policy. Confirm the current interval for your dispenser type directly with your verification body, since it is set by NRCS technical policy rather than a single number in the Act.

Did the fuel levy change in 2026?

Yes. From 1 April 2026 the general fuel levy rose to R4.10/litre for petrol and R3.93/litre for diesel, with the carbon fuel levy and RAF levy also increasing, announced in the February 2026 Budget [5](https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-02-25-budget-2026-godongwana-hikes-fuel-levies/). Always check the current SARS excise and levy schedule before pricing fuel or claiming a refund.

Sources

TefCo Corporate Compliance (Pty) Ltd is a compliance management platform, not a legal, tax or advisory firm. This guide is general information, not advice. Fees, dates and thresholds change — confirm current figures with the regulator before you rely on them.