Petroleum storage licence

A licence issued by Dorset Trading Standards Service is generally required when petroleum products are either dispensed through a petrol pump into a vehicle or stored on domestic premises. The annual licence fee depends upon the amount stored. A Petroleum Licence Application (PDF, 8kb) (opens in a new window) form is available to download.

The storage arrangements for the keeping of petroleum spirit or petroleum mixtures must comply with certain specifications, which have to be approved by the Trading Standards Service before a licence can be issued. If you intend to store petroleum spirit or petroleum mixtures (which have a flash point of less than 21^oC ) always contact this service beforehand.

Storage of petroleum may involve a vapour recovery system. This is a system whereby the vapour lost from petroleum spirit to the atmosphere during the refilling of underground petroleum storage tanks is redirected back into the delivery vehicle. For the majority of installations an authorisation needs to be in place to operate. Authorisations are generally issued by district or borough councils, however if the premises are based in Christchurch or West Dorset please contact us for an application form or advice, or to find out the cost of an authorisation and the annual fee. A vapour recovery application (PDF, 12kb) (opens in a new window) form is available to download.

Before any work on premises is undertaken (including removing disused storage tanks) contact us in writing at least 7 days before starting.

If you require further information and advice or wish to apply for a licence using alternative methods then visit the trading standards advice page.