Annual Hazmat Registrations For 2017-2018 Registration Year Due July 1

May 15th, 2017 - 9:36 am

BACKGROUND: The U.S. DOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requires hazardous material transporters to register and pay a fee each year in return for a certificate of operation. PHMSA began mailing the 2017-2018 registration information to HAZMAT transporters earlier this month. Only those with expiring DOT PHMSA HAZMAT registration certificates must re-register before July 1, 2017 or risk losing authority to operate and paying a substantial civil penalty. HAZMAT registration certificates are checked at roadside inspections. 

WHAT'S NEW: U.S. Small Business Administration employee thresholds determining business size have been increased for 2017. This change will allow additional businesses to qualify for the lower hazardous material registration fee.

Who must register and pay the fee?

HAZMAT Transporters - Any business (intrastate or interstate) shipping hazardous materials requiring a U.S. DOT placard must register each year and pay the fee. Heating oil dealers, common carriers of petroleum products, and propane suppliers who ship their products in trucks must register and pay the fee.

What happens if I don't register?

Loss of Operating Authority - If you fail to register by the deadline then you lose your authority to operate your trucks in both intrastate and interstate commerce. Your authority to operate is the certificate you receive from PHMSA once you register and pay the fee. A current certificate must be kept in the cab of each HAZMAT vehicle at all times. If you are subject to a roadside inspection or DOT audit and do not have a current certificate, your authority to operate will be revoked and you could be fined up to $37,500 per day of violation.

Why is the U.S. DOT collecting the fee?

Emergency Response Funding -The money collected from the registration program is given back to state emergency response authorities in the form of training grants for fire and police and emergency preparedness organizations.

How do I know if my registration is current or not?

Registration Look-up - Registration status may be checked on line by clicking here: Registration Look-Up. Enter either your company name, U.S. DOT number, or zip code in the data fields provided to check whether your HAZMAT registration certificate is current.

How do I register?

Registration Options - There are several ways to register:

U.S. Mail - You must register by filling out the 2017-2018 registration application and sending it by U.S. Mail to PHMSA (along with the required fee). PHMSA generally mails new registration forms out to all registrants. If you have not yet received a form for the 2017-2018 registration year, one may be found by clicking here: 2017 Registration Form.

Online Registration - Online registration is available by clicking here: Online RegistrationOnline registration allows you to register, pay the fee and download your operating certificate.

When is the HAZMAT registration deadline?

Deadline - July 1, 2017 for those who have expiring certificates

IMPORTANT! Since registrations can be multiyear, not all certificates will expire on July 1. Check the expiration date on your HAZMAT certificate or information in the Registration Look-Up link above before registering by mail or online.

What documentation should I put in my trucks after July 1, 2017?

Certificate Documentation - Place a photocopy of the updated certificate in the cab of each HAZMAT motor vehicle by July 1, 2017.

How much is the annual HAZMAT registration fee?

Two-Tiered Fee System -The annual registration fee is based on business size - Small Business Registration Fee - For registration year 2017-2018 the fee for small businesses is $275 for one year; $525 for two years (2017-2019) and $775 for three years (2017-2020). Large Business Registration Fee - For registration year 2017-2018 the fee for large businesses is $2,600 for one year.

How do I determine the size of my business so I know which fee to pay?

IMPORTANT! NAICS industrial classification codes and U.S. Small Business Administration employee thresholds determining business size have been revised for 2017. These are important changes because they may result in reclassifying previously designated large businesses as small businesses, which qualify for the lower hazardous material registration fee. See below.

Business Size Calculation for Determining the Fee Amount - It is very likely that your business qualifies for the lower registration fee. Determining size is left up to the company applying for the registration certificate. PHMSA follows Small Business Administration (SBA) size categories to classify whether a business is large or small for the purposes of determining the amount of the annual registration fee. The SBA determines business size according to NAICS (North American Industrial Classification System) codes based on either the number of employees in the company or on annual gross receipts. The following NAICS codes and size criteria apply when calculating which fee to pay:

2017 REVISED NAICS CODE 454310 - Heating Oil Dealers: Heating oil dealers in this category are considered small businesses and required to pay the $275 fee if the company employs fewer than 100 employees.

2017 REVISED NAICS CODE 454310 - Liquefied Petroleum Gas Dealers:Propane dealers in this category are considered small businesses and must pay the $275 fee if the company employs fewer than 100 employees.

2017 REVISED NAICS CODE 424710 - Petroleum Bulk Terminal: Wholesale Operations - Petroleum marketers in this category sell to other merchants at wholesale. These facilities are considered small businesses and required to pay the $275 fee if the company employs fewer than 200 employees.

2017 REVISED NAICS 493190 - Bulk Petroleum Storage (Bulk Plants) -Petroleum marketers in this category sell at retail, and are considered small businesses and must pay the $275 fee if the company employs fewer than 200 employees.

2017 REVISED NAICS CODE 424720 - Petroleum and Petroleum Product Wholesalers (no bulk storage): Petroleum marketers in this category are considered small businesses and must pay the $275 fee if the company employs fewer than 200 employees.

Click here for 2017 revised NAICS Code: 2017 NAICS Codes

Where can I call if I have questions regarding registration filing?

For questions related to filing, please call the U.S.DOT PHMSA Hazmat Registration desk at (202)-366-4109.

Got Questions? Contact NEFI Regulatory Counsel Mark S. Morgan at mark@nefi.com