NSW service station obligations

If you are a service station operator in NSW, you need to be familiar with the following 3 laws under the Fair Trading Act 1987 (the Act):

• FuelCheck obligations under section 58 of the Act and the associated FuelCheck Order 2026
• fuel price sign information standard under the Fair Trading Regulation 2019
• biofuels requirements under the Biofuels Act 2007.

FuelCheck obligations for service stations

If you operate a service station in NSW, you are required to:

• register with FuelCheck
• notify NSW Fair Trading of the standard retail price of each kind of fuel available at the service station
• notify NSW Fair Trading if a fuel is unavailable.

For more information, visit FuelCheck.

Fuel price sign information standard

All NSW petrol station operators are required to display price signs that must:

• be positioned and lit so that any price displayed can be readily seen by motorists approaching the petrol station when the station is open
• display the standard retail price available to anyone without discounts or other special offers, expressed as the price per litre
• display the price of all fuels for a service station that sells up to 4 fuels
• display the prices of at least four fuels for a service station that sells more than 4 fuels.
• include the price of E10, LPG and diesel, if these are sold and the service station sells 4 or more fuel types.

Fuel prices can:

• be displayed in any order
• can contain information about a discount or special offer, for example, ‘save 4 cents per litre’, as long as the actual price displayed is the price available to all customers.

These signage requirements help motorists in NSW make an informed choice about their fuel purchase and helps drive competition.

Service stations are also required to display the octane rating (or Research Octane Number) of E10, regular and premium unleaded petrol at the pump.

Refer to any active Statements of Regulatory Intent that outline NSW Fair Trading’s enforcement approach toward any of these obligations.

Biofuel requirements

Biofuel regulation is now the responsibility of the NSW Environmental Protection Authority.  For more information, please visit Biofuels. Any biofuel related enquires should be emailed to info@epa.nsw.gov.au.

Ask a question

If you have any questions about the information on this page or need help to comply with any of the legal obligations, contact NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20. Any biofuel related enquires should be emailed to info@epa.nsw.gov.au.