Legal Metrology verification of petrol pump dispensers

Short answer

A petrol or diesel dispenser must be verified and stamped by a Legal Metrology Officer and re-verified every 24 months LM (General) Rules 2011, rule 27 G.S.R. 905(E), 18 Dec 2025. On a delivery of two litres or more the table error is 0.5 per cent, about 25 millilitres on a 5-litre test, though the same Schedule also sets a minimum error figure LM (General) Rules 2011, Eighth Schedule Part IV, and the public sector oil companies' guideline asks the dealer to test every nozzle with a verified 5-litre measure each day before sales MDG 2024, 1.4.2.

MDG Services makes Dealer Kavach, an app for petrol pump dealers, so this page comes from the maker of a product it may mention. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, fees and guidelines change and differ by oil company and state: every fact here names its source and the date we checked it, so confirm it with the oil company or the authority before you act. We do not sell, allot or arrange dealerships or licences.

Facts checked on 9 November 2026. Published by MDG Services on 9 November 2026.

A dispenser's meter is a legal measuring instrument. A Legal Metrology Officer verifies and stamps it, and it is re-checked every 24 months. The dealer tests it daily with a 5-litre measure. All as on 9 November 2026.

Who verifies a dispenser, and how often?

Every weight or measure used in a sale must be verified and stamped by the Legal Metrology Officer of the State where it is used, and re-verified at set intervals LM (General) Rules 2011, rule 27. Since 18 December 2025 the interval for petrol and diesel dispensers is 24 months G.S.R. 905(E), 18 Dec 2025.

Government Approved Test Centres can verify dispensers too, at Rs 5,000 for each nozzle G.S.R. 346(E), 8 May 2026.

What error is allowed, and what is the 5-litre test?

Point	What the source says
Table error, two litres or more	0.5 per cent, plus or minus LM (General) Rules 2011, Eighth Schedule Part IV
On a 5-litre measure	25 millilitres (0.5 per cent of 5 litres, our arithmetic)
Minimum error figure	The limit is the greater of the table figure and a minimum figure, so it can be above 25 millilitres LM (General) Rules 2011, Eighth Schedule Part IV
Public sector oil companies' "within limit" band	10 to 25 millilitres per 5 litres is recorded; recalibrate and re-stamp within 15 days MDG 2024, 5.1.2
The test	Each nozzle, daily, before sales, with a verified 5-litre measure kept only for pump testing MDG 2024, 1.4.2

Steps are in the MDG guide on the 5-litre test.

What if the delivery is short or a seal is broken?

Stop sales through that dispenser or nozzle if it delivers short beyond the limit with its seals intact MDG 2024, 5.1.2.
Tell the Legal Metrology office and the oil company; do not run it until it is re-stamped MDG 2024, 1.4.2.
Check the seals daily and suspend a unit whose seal is tampered MDG 2024, 1.4.2. See seals.

What are the penalties under the Act?

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, in force for the Legal Metrology Act from 1 May 2026, changed penalty sections of the Legal Metrology Act: in several of them a first offence now gets an improvement notice and a second offence a penalty Jan Vishwas Act 2026, Schedule entry 66 S.O. 2103(E), 27 Apr 2026. Ask the Legal Metrology office or an advocate which section applies.

Where this comes from

Legal Metrology (General) Rules 2011: rule 27, Eighth Schedule.
General (Seventh Amendment) Rules 2025: the 24-month period.
Government Approved Test Centre Amendment Rules 2026: dispensers, fee.
Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024, Bharat Petroleum: daily tests.
Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act 2026: penalty sections.

Questions people ask

01How is measurement done at the petrol pump?

Before sales the dealer draws fuel from each nozzle into a verified 5-litre measure and compares it with the 5 litres shown. The quantity used is written in the stock register MDG 2024, 1.4.2.

02How often must a petrol pump dispenser be verified?

Every 24 months for petrol and diesel dispensers, from the amendment of 18 December 2025. A dispenser repaired before its date is re-verified and stamped before use G.S.R. 905(E), 18 Dec 2025 LM (General) Rules 2011, rule 27.

03How much error is allowed in a petrol pump?

The table figure is plus or minus 0.5 per cent on deliveries of two litres or more, so 25 millilitres on 5 litres; the same Schedule sets a minimum error figure, so the limit on a given dispenser can be higher LM (General) Rules 2011, Eighth Schedule Part IV.

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