Labeling - Fuels And Lubricants - Business & Professions - CA

Section § 13480

This California law makes it illegal to sell motor vehicle fuels or lubricants without proper labeling where they're stored or sold. Labels must clearly display the product's name, brand, and fuel grade. For lubricants, additional information on viscosity grade must be included. There are specific rules for labeling fuels used in engines, mixtures of gasoline and oil, and gasoline blends, including required display sizes for these labels. However, these requirements don't apply to aviation products or electricity used as vehicle fuel.

(a) It is unlawful for any person to sell any motor vehicle fuel or lubricant referred to in this chapter at any place where motor vehicle fuels or lubricants are kept or stored for sale, unless there is affixed to each container, receptacle, pump, dispenser, and inlet end of the fill pipe of each underground storage tank, from which or into which that product is drawn or poured out for sale or delivery, a sign or label plainly visible consisting of the name of the product, the brand, trademark, or trade name of the product, and, in the case of motor vehicle fuel and kerosene, the grade or brand name designation.

(b) When the product is a lubricant, as defined by Section 13400, each sign or label shall also have in letters or numerals, plainly visible, the viscosity grade classification as determined in accordance with the SAE International latest standard for engine oil viscosity classification SAE J300 or manual transmission and axle lubricants viscosity classification SAE J306, as applicable, and shall be preceded by the letters “SAE.”

(c) When the product is automotive spark-ignition engine fuel, the secretary shall make rules and regulations as are reasonably necessary to define and enforce the octane number, antiknock index labeling requirements, or other labeling requirements of the product sold.

(d) When the product is a motor vehicle fuel consisting of a mixture or premixture of gasoline and oil or gasoline-oxygenate blend and motor oil, there shall be conspicuously displayed on the dispensing device at least one sign or label stating the ratio of gasoline to motor oil or gasoline-oxygenate blend to motor oil.

(e) All signs or labels required by this section for retail motor vehicle fuel dispensers and containers of more than one gallon capacity shall be in letters and numerals not less than one-half inch (12.70 mm) in height. On containers of one gallon or less, the signs or labels shall be in letters and numerals not less than one-fourth inch (6.35 mm) in height and one-sixteenth inch (1.59 mm) in width.

(f) The provisions of this section pertaining to octane numbers or antiknock index and motor oil SAE International viscosity number grade shall not apply to products sold for aviation purposes.

(g) This section does not apply to electricity sold as a motor vehicle fuel.

motor vehicle fuel lubricant labeling fuel storage

Section § 13481

If you're selling motor vehicle fuel or lubricant without a brand name, you need to label it as 'no brand' using red letters on a white background. These letters must be at least three inches tall and half an inch wide. This rule doesn't apply to electricity used as vehicle fuel.

(a) If any motor vehicle fuel or lubricant is offered for sale, but not under any brand, trademark, or trade name, the words “no brand” shall be used as the brand, trademark, or trade name designation. The words “no brand” shall be in letters of gothic type with a stroke of not less than one-half inch in width, not less than three inches in height, and shall consist of red letters on a white background.

(b) This section does not apply to electricity sold as a motor vehicle fuel.

motor vehicle fuel lubricant no brand

Section § 13482

If you're selling engine oil or lubricants, they must meet certain quality standards set by organizations like the API or ACEA. You also need to clearly label the product with its specifications. Axle and manual transmission lubricants have to meet a specific viscosity grade, too.

(a) It is unlawful for any person to sell or distribute engine oil or lubricant unless both of the following are met:

(1) The product conforms to a minimum of one active API classification pursuant to the latest revision of SAE J183 “Engine Oil Performance and Engine Service Classification,” a minimum of one active sequence of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) “European Oil Sequences specification,” or a minimum of one active OEM specification.

(2) The API classification or ACEA sequence or OEM specification and SAE J300 viscosity grade is conspicuously marked on each container or, if provided in bulk, properly described in product transfer documents.

(b) It is unlawful for any person to sell or distribute axle and manual transmission lubricant unless it conforms to an SAE J306 viscosity grade.

engine oil lubricant API classification

Section § 13483

This law states that for signs or labels on the inlet end of an underground storage tank, the size of the letters doesn't have to follow specific rules. However, the letters do need to be easily readable when the tank is being filled.

The provisions of this article as to size of letters shall not apply to signs or labels at the inlet end of any underground storage tank, which letters may be of any convenient size but such letters shall be plainly visible while such underground storage tank is being filled.

underground storage tank signs labels

Section § 13484

If a pump or container serves more than one driveway, signs must be visible from each driveway. If it serves only one driveway, signs should be placed on the side facing that driveway.

Whenever any pump, receptacle, or other container is maintained or used to serve more than one driveway, the signs or labels required by this chapter shall be placed upon both sides of such pump, receptacle, or other container so that one set of signs or labels shall be clearly visible from each such driveway.

Wherever any pump, receptacle, or other container is maintained or used to serve only one driveway, the signs or labels required by this chapter shall be upon the side of such pump, receptacle, or other container adjacent to such driveway.

pump receptacle container

Section § 13485

If motor fuel or lubricant containers are filled right in front of you, they don't need specific labels as long as the main container or pump is correctly labeled.

Small hand measures used for delivery of motor vehicle fuels or lubricants, and filled in the presence of the customer, need not be labeled in accordance with this chapter if the receptacle, container, or pump from which motor vehicle fuels or lubricants are drawn or poured into the hand measures is properly labeled as required by this chapter.

motor vehicle fuels lubricants small hand measures

Section § 13486

This law makes it illegal for businesses selling motor vehicle fuels or lubricants to either put products in storage tanks that don't match their labels or sell products from pumps that don't match the required labels. However, it does allow for the authorized rebranding of storage tanks under specific conditions outlined elsewhere.

(a) It is unlawful, at any place of business where motor vehicle fuels or lubricants are sold, for any person to do either of the following:

(1) Deliver into a storage tank or container any motor vehicle fuel or lubricant other than the product identified on the label attached to the storage tank or container.

(2) Sell by means of, or through, a pump or other device, any motor vehicle fuel or lubricant other than the product identified on the required label, tag, or sign attached to the pump or other device.

(b) This section does not prohibit the delivery of motor vehicle fuel into a storage tank labeled with the authorized rebrand as provided in Article 14 (commencing with Section 13560).

motor vehicle fuels motor vehicle lubricants storage tank labeling

Section § 13489

This law allows the use of pumps that combine gasoline from two different tanks, as long as they meet certain requirements. The pump must accurately measure and display the amounts and prices of the gasoline being dispensed. It must also clearly show the quality of the combined gasoline. Additionally, the pump must have a locking feature to prevent changing the gas mix mid-sale. This law takes precedence over certain other regulations to enable the use of blending pumps.

The use of pumps or other devices which are capable of withdrawing gasoline from each of two tanks containing different qualities of the same petroleum product and dispensing them as a single combined product shall be authorized when the department determines that all of the following conditions exist:

(a) The device mechanism accurately measures the quantities of the gasoline being simultaneously withdrawn from each of the two tanks and the quantity dispensed.

(b) The device mechanism accurately and visibly records and displays the resulting combined quality, the total quantity, the price per gallon or liter for the particular quality combination being dispensed, and the total price of the quantity of gasoline dispensed at the particular sale.

(c) The device has a locking selector mechanism which prevents the changing of the proportion of the two qualities being combined during the dispensing of the desired quantity.

The provisions of this section shall not supersede any other provisions in this chapter, except that they shall supersede the provisions of Sections 13442, 13443, 13480, 13483, 13486, 13487, and 13488 to the extent necessary to authorize the operation of a blending type of pump connected to two tanks containing two different products, or two different grades of the same product, which, when blended together in different proportions, will produce gasolines of different octane rating, each blend of which shall meet the specifications for gasoline as required by this chapter.

blending pumps gasoline dispensing quality combination

Section § 13490

This law allows businesses to use pumps that can mix gasoline and motor oil from separate tanks and dispense them as a single product. The key requirements include: the pump must accurately measure and display the quantities and prices of each ingredient, prevent changes to the mixture ratio during dispensing, and ensure that the motor oil and gasoline meet specific quality standards when separate. This law overrides some previous rules to permit these specific blending pumps.

The use of pumps or other devices which are capable of withdrawing gasoline from one tank and motor oil, or a premixture of gasoline and motor oil in a known ratio, from another tank, and dispensing them as a single combined product, or of withdrawing gasoline alone from the tank containing gasoline and of withdrawing a premixture of gasoline and motor oil alone from the tank containing a premixture of gasoline and motor oil shall be authorized when the department determines that all the following conditions exist:

(a) The device mechanism accurately measures the quantities being simultaneously withdrawn for dispensing as a combined product from each of the two tanks when the combined product is dispensed, the quantity being dispensed from the gasoline tank when gasoline alone is dispensed, or the quantity being dispensed from the tank containing a premixture of gasoline and motor oil when the premixture alone is dispensed.

(b) The device mechanism accurately and visibly records and displays: (1) the ratio of gasoline to motor oil or premixture, the quantity of each ingredient being dispensed, the price per gallon or liter for the gasoline being dispensed, and the price per quart or liter for any motor oil or premixture being dispensed or (2) the ratio of gasoline to motor oil or premixture and the price per gallon or liter for the product being dispensed.

The provisions of this section shall supersede Sections 13442, 13443, 13480, 13483, 13486, 13487, and 13488 to the extent necessary to authorize the operation of the above-described blending type of pump connected to two tanks, one containing motor oil, or a premixture of motor oil and gasoline in a known ratio, and the other gasoline, provided that the motor oil shall in its separate state meet the specifications for motor oil as required by Section 13460 and that the gasoline shall in its separate state meet the specifications for gasoline as required by Section 13440.

pump mechanism gasoline motor oil