The Pennsylvania DEP Storage Tanks Registration/Permitting Application Form (2630-PM-BECB0514, Rev. 10/2016) is the single form you use to register every regulated aboveground storage tank (AST) with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and any business that owns a stationary tank holding more than 250 gallons of a regulated substance must file it. This form is both your registration and your operating permit application, so a tank without it cannot legally hold, dispense, or receive a single drop of product.
The stakes are real. Since Nov. 5, 1989, using an unregistered regulated tank has been illegal in Pennsylvania, and a fuel distributor who pumps product into your unregistered tank can be held liable for any release. DEP tracks tens of thousands of active tanks under the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act, and a single incomplete form gets returned to you, which delays your permit and leaves your tank legally frozen.
Here is what you will learn in this guide:
- 📋 Exactly who must register and which tanks are exempt under the AST exemption codes
- 🖊️ A line-by-line walkthrough of all twelve sections of Form 2630-PM-BECB0514
- 💵 The current annual fee tiers and the surprising way DEP actually bills you
- 🗂️ Three full filled-out examples for a farm, a factory, and a fuel terminal
- ⚠️ The deadline traps and field-level mistakes that get forms rejected or trigger penalties
What the Form Is and Who Must File It
Form 2630-PM-BECB0514 is the Storage Tanks Registration/Permitting Application that the DEP Bureau of Environmental Cleanup and Brownfields uses to register tanks and issue operating permits. It serves a double duty. It registers your tank in DEP’s tracking system, and it also acts as your application for the operating permit you must hold before you store or dispense anything.
A regulated aboveground storage tank is a stationary tank that holds more than 250 gallons of a regulated substance, where 90 percent of the volume sits at or above the ground and can be visually inspected. Regulated substances include petroleum products like gasoline, diesel, kerosene, fuel oil, and used oil, plus nonpetroleum oils such as biodiesel and pure ethanol meant for blending. If your tank holds any of these above the size cutoff, you must file.
Not every tank counts. The instructions list exemption codes A1 through A25, and several catch small operators by surprise. Code A2 exempts heating-oil tanks of 30,000 gallons or less used on the premises, code A3 exempts tanks of 1,100 gallons or less storing motor fuel for noncommercial use, and code A4 exempts farm tanks of 1,100 gallons or less holding crop or livestock substances. A tank that fits an exemption does not register, but a tank that loses its exemption, such as a farm tank that starts selling fuel, must register right away.
The law that requires all this is the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act of 1989, carried out through 25 Pa. Code Chapter 245. The consequence of ignoring it is steep. Using an unregistered tank is unlawful, DEP can deny your operating permit, and you stay exposed to enforcement until you file.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Gather everything before you open the form. DEP returns incomplete forms, and a returned form means your tank stays unpermitted while you scramble for missing data. Build this pre-filing checklist first.
- DEP Client ID# — your unique DEP identifier; if you have ever filed with DEP, enter it so the agency does not create a duplicate record that delays processing.
- DEP Site ID# and Facility ID# — assigned to existing locations; leaving these off an amendment for a known facility forces a manual lookup and slows your filing.
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) — required for organizations, because DEP cross-checks it to confirm your legal identity, and a missing EIN gets the form bounced.
- Tank capacity in gallons — drives your fee tier and your registration status, so an estimate instead of the nameplate figure can put you in the wrong fee bracket.
- Regulated substance stored — gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, used oil, etc.; the wrong substance code can wrongly exempt or wrongly regulate the tank.
- Tank construction and installation date — needed for the tank description section, and a missing install date stalls a new-tank registration.
- NAICS code for your business — at least the two- or three-digit sector level, because DEP requires it for every authorization.
- Flammable and Combustible Liquid Permit number — from the Department of Labor and Industry if your product flashes below 200°F, since this permit is a prerequisite for installing such tanks.
- Latitude and longitude of the facility — helps DEP locate the site for inspections and emergency response.
- Owner signature authority — the person signing must be authorized, because an unsigned or wrongly signed form is treated as incomplete.
Having these on hand turns a frustrating multi-week back-and-forth into a single clean submission. The most common holdup is a missing Facility ID# on an amendment, which forces DEP staff to search by hand and adds days to your timeline.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
You can complete this filing two ways, and DEP now pushes most owners toward the online route. The paper form lives in the DEP storage tank forms library as both a fillable PDF and a Microsoft Word file, so you can type your answers, print the document, and mail it. Always confirm you are using the Rev. 10/2016 version printed in the form’s footer, because an outdated package can omit current codes and trigger a return.
The faster path is the online portal. DEP’s Storage Tanks ePermitting system lets you submit a New Facility Registration, a Change of Ownership, or a Registration Amendment without paper. The portal walks you through the same sections as the paper form and flags blank required fields before you submit, which cuts down on the rejections that plague mailed forms.
To reach the paper form on the website, go to the DEP site and select Businesses, then Land, then Storage Tanks, then Forms and Applications. You can also call the appropriate DEP regional office and ask them to mail you the current package. Either way, the rule is the same: use the newest version, because DEP asks filers to submit the most up-to-date package to avoid processing delays.
One important note for multi-tank sites. A separate form is completed for each facility that has regulated tanks, and if you run out of room for tanks, you photocopy the tank section, write the Facility ID# and Facility Name at the top of each added sheet, and staple everything together.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form 2630-PM-BECB0514 Line by Line
The form runs in twelve numbered sections, marked I through XII. Below is each major section in the order it appears on the form. Type or print in ink everything except the signatures, and always include the Storage Tank Facility ID# unless you are registering a brand-new facility.
Section I: Purpose of Submittal
This section asks why you are sending the form. You check one box: Initial for a first-time registration at a new facility, Amended for changes to a facility DEP already knows, or Change of Ownership when tanks are bought and stay put at the same site.
To answer it, pick the single box that matches your situation and leave the others blank. A first-time filer with a brand-new tank checks Initial only.
For example, Henderson Farms is registering its first diesel AST, so it checks Initial and nothing else.
A common edge case is buying tanks that stay at the same location. That is Change of Ownership, not Amended, and it is also different from moving tanks to another site, which uses the relocation rules instead.
The most common mistake here is checking Initial for a tank at a facility that already has a DEP Facility ID#. The direct consequence is a duplicate facility record, which scrambles your fee billing and your permit history.
A misconception is that Amended covers everything after the first filing. In truth, a true sale of tanks staying on site is Change of Ownership, and using the wrong box routes your form to the wrong process.
Section II: Current or New Tank Owner/Client Information
This section identifies the legal owner of the tanks, called the client. It asks for your DEP Client ID#, client type code, organization or individual name, EIN, and mailing address.
To answer it, enter your Client ID# if you have one, then your full legal organization name exactly as registered, your nine-digit EIN, and a complete mailing address with the ZIP+4. Use the two-character state abbreviation and spell out the city without abbreviations.
For example, Keystone Manufacturing Inc. enters its EIN 23-1234567, its registered corporate name, and its headquarters mailing address with suite number.
A nuance covers individuals and partnerships. If you do business under a name other than your own, you complete the Organization Name line, and partnerships list the business name exactly as it appears on the partnership papers.
A common mistake is leaving the EIN blank, which is required for organizations. The direct consequence is a returned form, because DEP cannot confirm your identity or prevent a duplicate record.
A misconception is that the Social Security Number is mandatory for individual filers. It is optional, it is not public, and skipping it does not invalidate the form, though providing it helps DEP avoid duplicate entries.
Section III: Site Information
This section describes the physical place where the tanks sit. It asks for your DEP Site ID#, the site name, a description of the site, the county and municipality, the physical site location, written directions, NAICS codes, and a site contact.
To answer it, give the real street location of the tanks, not a mailing address, because no P.O. Box is accepted here. Add the county and municipality with the correct box checked for city, borough, or township, and enter at least a two- or three-digit NAICS code.
For example, Henderson Farms describes its site as a working dairy farm, lists Lancaster County, Salisbury Township, and enters NAICS sector 11 for agriculture.
A nuance is the written-directions field, which still matters for rural sites. You include landmarks and distances from the nearest highway so an inspector or emergency crew can find the tank.
A common mistake is entering a township name in the city field. The direct consequence is a location mismatch in DEP’s system that can misroute correspondence and inspections.
A misconception is that the site address and the owner’s mailing address are the same. They often differ, and the site location must be the physical tank location even when the company mails everything to a corporate office.
Section IV: Facility Information
This section identifies the storage tank facility, its operator, and any fire safety permit. It asks for the Storage Tank Facility ID#, the facility name, the Facility Kind code, latitude and longitude, the facility operator, and the Flammable and Combustible Liquid Permit number.
To answer it, leave the Facility ID# blank for a new facility because DEP assigns it, choose the one Facility Kind code that best fits from the top of the list down, and name the operator who runs daily tank operations.
For example, a bulk terminal selects Facility Kind PDIST for product distributor, while a gas station selects MFULS for motor fuel for sale, and a farm selects FARM.
A nuance is the operator box. If the operator is the same as the owner in Section II, you check the box and skip ahead instead of retyping the information.
A common mistake is guessing the Flammable and Combustible Liquid Permit details for a low-flash-point product. The direct consequence is a stalled installation, since that Labor and Industry permit is a prerequisite for tanks holding product flashing below 200°F.
A misconception is that DEP issues the Facility ID# on the form you submit. DEP assigns it after it receives your initial form, as a two-digit county code plus a five-digit number such as 12-12345.
Section V: Change of Ownership Information
This section applies only when tanks are sold and stay at the same facility. It collects the new owner’s details and the previous owner’s signature to confirm the transfer.
To answer it, the new owner completes the Owner, Facility, Contact, and Change of Ownership blocks, and the previous owner signs Section V to verify the sale.
For example, when Riverside Fuel LLC buys all tanks at an existing terminal, it fills these blocks and the seller signs Section V, so the facility keeps its original Facility ID#.
A nuance covers partial sales. If only some tanks are purchased and remain on site, DEP creates a new facility and assigns a new Facility ID# for those tanks, and the previous tank numbers must be supplied.
A common mistake is leaving Section V unsigned by the seller. The direct consequence is that the new owner must instead provide a deed of transfer or other proof of ownership, which delays the transfer.
A misconception is that a change of ownership is the same as relocating tanks. Moving tanks to a different facility follows the separate relocation rules, not Section V.
Section VI: Storage Tank Description
This is the heart of the form, where you describe each regulated tank. It asks for the tank number, the previous status, the new status, capacity, the substance stored, construction, and installation date.
To answer it, number aboveground tanks starting at 001A and continue 002A, 003A, never reusing a number from a removed tank. Enter the new status code, such as C for currently in use, plus the exact capacity in gallons and the regulated substance.
For example, Henderson Farms lists tank 001A, status C, capacity 1,000 gallons, substance diesel.
A nuance is the multi-compartment rule. Each compartment in a multi-compartment tank registers as a separate tank with its own number, so a two-compartment tank becomes two registrations.
A common mistake is rounding tank capacity. The direct consequence is landing in the wrong fee tier, since the AST fee jumps at the 5,000 and 50,000 gallon lines.
A misconception is that you reuse an old tank number after removing a tank. You never reuse a number, because DEP keeps the retired number tied to the closed tank’s history.
Sections VII through XII: Installation, Closure, Certifications, and Signatures
These remaining sections capture installation details, removal or closure data, certified handler information, fees, owner certification, and any spill prevention requirements. Which ones apply depends on your purpose of submittal, marked R for required and M for maybe required on the instruction grid.
To answer them, complete the installation section for a new tank, the removal section only when closing a tank, and always sign the owner certification, because the signature makes the filing valid.
For example, Keystone Manufacturing signs the owner certification and leaves the closure section blank since it is adding, not removing, a tank.
A nuance is closure timing for large tanks. For USTs and ASTs greater than 21,000 gallons, a Closure Notification must reach the regional office 30 days before removal, and a Closure Report is kept or filed and retained three years.
A common mistake is skipping the signature block. The direct consequence is an automatic return, since DEP treats an unsigned form as incomplete and your tank stays unpermitted.
A misconception is that every section must be filled in. Sections are marked required or maybe-required by purpose, so a simple new-tank registration leaves closure and change-of-ownership blocks blank on purpose.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Below are three common AST registrations, each followed start to finish.
Scenario 1: Henderson Farms registers one 1,000-gallon diesel AST. This farm uses commercial diesel for resale-adjacent operations, so it loses the small-farm exemption and must register.
| Form Section | What Henderson Farms Enters |
|---|---|
| I. Purpose of Submittal | Initial |
| II. Owner/Client | Henderson Farms LLC, EIN 23-1112222 |
| III. Site Information | Lancaster County, Salisbury Township; NAICS 11 |
| IV. Facility Kind | FARM |
| V. Change of Ownership | Left blank |
| VI. Tank Number | 001A |
| VI. Capacity / Substance | 1,000 gallons / diesel |
| VI. New Status | C (currently in use) |
| Fee Tier | $50 (5,000 gallons or less) |
| Owner Certification | Signed by Dale Henderson |
Scenario 2: Keystone Manufacturing registers a 25,000-gallon heating-fuel AST. This factory tank holds more than the 5,000-gallon line, putting it in the middle fee tier.
| Form Section | What Keystone Manufacturing Enters |
|---|---|
| I. Purpose of Submittal | Initial |
| II. Owner/Client | Keystone Manufacturing Inc., EIN 23-1234567 |
| III. Site Information | York County, City of York; NAICS 31 |
| IV. Facility Kind | MFGIN (manufacturing or industrial) |
| VI. Tank Number | 001A |
| VI. Capacity / Substance | 25,000 gallons / fuel oil |
| VI. New Status | C (currently in use) |
| IV. Flammable Permit | Labor and Industry permit number listed |
| Fee Tier | $125 (5,001 to 50,000 gallons) |
| Owner Certification | Signed by plant manager |
Scenario 3: Riverside Fuel registers a 60,000-gallon gasoline AST. This bulk terminal tank exceeds 50,000 gallons, the top fee tier, and stores a low-flash-point product.
| Form Section | What Riverside Fuel Enters |
|---|---|
| I. Purpose of Submittal | Initial |
| II. Owner/Client | Riverside Fuel LLC, EIN 23-9998888 |
| III. Site Information | Allegheny County, City of Pittsburgh; NAICS 42 |
| IV. Facility Kind | PDIST (product distributor) |
| IV. Flammable Permit | County Fire Marshal permit (Allegheny) |
| VI. Tank Number | 001A |
| VI. Capacity / Substance | 60,000 gallons / gasoline |
| VI. New Status | C (currently in use) |
| Fee Tier | $300 (greater than 50,000 gallons) |
| Owner Certification | Signed by terminal owner |
How to File the Completed Form
You have two filing channels, and each leaves a different paper trail. Choose the one that fits your comfort level, but keep proof either way.
Online (preferred): Submit through the DEP Storage Tanks ePermitting portal at no upfront charge, because DEP invoices the fee after it processes your registration. The system accepts New Facility Registration, Change of Ownership, and Registration Amendment submissions, confirms receipt on screen, and lets you save a digital confirmation. Processing is faster than mail since the portal checks for blank required fields before you submit.
By mail: Print the completed Rev. 10/2016 form and mail it to the appropriate DEP regional office, or to the central office for closures of registered tanks. Do not enclose payment, because DEP bills you afterward; the agency sends an invoice for the initial fee once it receives your form. Keep a full photocopy and use certified mail so you have a dated receipt as proof of filing.
For both channels the fee structure is the same. Aboveground tanks of 5,000 gallons or less cost $50 per tank per year, tanks of 5,001 to 50,000 gallons cost $125, and tanks greater than 50,000 gallons cost $300. State-owned tanks are exempt from fees, and federal-government tanks get a 20 percent discount, though all of them still must register.
After you file, wait for DEP to acknowledge receipt before treating the tank as registered. The agency assigns your Facility ID# from the initial form, then sends the first invoice.
What Happens After You File
DEP enters your tank into its tracking system, assigns a Facility ID# if the site is new, and mails an invoice for the initial registration fee. Your registration is not complete until you pay that invoice, and DEP can withhold or deny the operating permit if fees go unpaid.
Each year after that, DEP sends an annual invoice for every registered tank, and you must keep paying to maintain a valid registration. A tank must stay registered the entire time it is not in service, right up until it is properly closed or removed. Skipping a year does not make the obligation disappear; it leaves you noncompliant.
Once your registration and permit are in place, you receive a registration certificate. Fuel distributors are supposed to confirm that certificate before delivering product, so a current registration is what keeps your fuel deliveries flowing. If your information changes, the 30-day amendment clock starts running immediately.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
Each error below has a direct consequence, and most lead to a returned form or a compliance problem.
- Checking Initial for a facility that already has a Facility ID# creates a duplicate record that scrambles your billing.
- Leaving the EIN blank gets an organization’s form returned because DEP cannot verify identity.
- Rounding tank capacity can push you into the wrong fee tier and produce an incorrect invoice.
- Reusing a retired tank number breaks the tank’s history in DEP’s system.
- Registering a multi-compartment tank as one tank undercounts your tanks and your fees.
- Entering a township in the city field misroutes your correspondence and inspections.
- Using a P.O. Box for the site location is rejected because only a physical address is accepted there.
- Forgetting the owner certification signature triggers an automatic return.
- Submitting an outdated form version omits current codes and gets the package returned.
- Missing the 30-day amendment deadline after a change leaves you out of compliance.
- Enclosing payment with the form creates a billing mismatch, since DEP invoices separately.
- Skipping the Flammable and Combustible Liquid Permit number for low-flash product stalls the installation.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
- Do use the current Rev. 10/2016 form, because outdated versions get returned.
- Do enter your Client ID#, Site ID#, and Facility ID# when you know them, since they speed processing.
- Do use the exact nameplate capacity, because it sets your fee tier.
- Do register each compartment as a separate tank, as the law requires.
- Do keep a copy and certified-mail receipt, because that is your proof of filing.
- Do file an amendment within 30 days of any change, to stay compliant.
Don’ts
- Don’t enclose payment with the form, since DEP bills you afterward.
- Don’t use a P.O. Box for the site location, because it will be rejected.
- Don’t reuse a closed tank’s number, as DEP keeps it retired.
- Don’t guess at exemption status, because a wrong call leaves a regulated tank unregistered.
- Don’t leave required signatures blank, since that voids the filing.
- Don’t assume Amended covers a sale of on-site tanks, because that is Change of Ownership.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Many owners file themselves, but larger or low-flash operations often hire a consultant. Here is how the two paths compare.
| Filing on Your Own | Filing With a Consultant |
|---|---|
| Saves money, since there is no service fee | Costs a fee, but reduces costly errors |
| You learn your own tank data firsthand | Expert handles fee tiers and exemption codes for you |
| Online portal flags blank required fields, easing solo filing | Pro spots rejection triggers before submission |
| Fine for a simple single-tank farm registration | Better for multi-tank or low-flash terminal filings |
| Full control over timing and submission | Manages 30-day amendment deadlines on your behalf |
Pros of doing it yourself: it is free, the ePermitting portal guides you, the form is well documented, you keep full control, and a single-tank registration is genuinely manageable alone.
Cons of doing it yourself: you can misjudge an exemption, miscalculate a fee tier, miss the 30-day amendment clock, overlook the Flammable and Combustible Liquid Permit, and absorb the delay of a returned form.
Related Forms and Agencies You Should Know
Several forms and agencies interact with this registration. The Storage Tank Registration Amendment Form (2630-FM-BECB0607) updates owner, contact, operator, tank, or facility information within 30 days of a change. The UST Operator Training Documentation Form (2630-PM-BECB0514a) applies to underground tanks, and the AST Closure forms handle removals.
The key agencies are the DEP Bureau of Environmental Cleanup and Brownfields, which receives the form, and the Department of Labor and Industry, which issues the Flammable and Combustible Liquid Permit for low-flash products. In Allegheny County the County Fire Marshal issues that permit, and in Philadelphia the Office of Licensing and Inspections does. All of this sits under the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act and 25 Pa. Code Chapter 245.
FAQs
Do I have to register an aboveground tank that holds exactly 250 gallons?
No. A regulated AST must hold more than 250 gallons, so a tank of 250 gallons or less is exempt under code A1 and does not register.
Do I register each compartment of a split tank separately?
Yes. Each compartment in a multi-compartment tank registers as a separate tank with its own tank number, and this applies to both aboveground and underground tanks.
Do I write the township name in the City field of Section III?
No. Enter a city, borough, or town name in that field and never a township, because a township entry causes a location mismatch in DEP’s system.
Do I leave the Storage Tank Facility ID# blank when registering a new facility?
Yes. DEP assigns the Facility ID# after it receives your initial form, so you leave it blank only for a brand-new facility and always include it on amendments.
Do I number my first aboveground tank “001”?
No. Aboveground tanks are numbered 001A, 002A, 003A and so on, while the plain 001 numbering without the “A” is used for underground tanks.
Do I have to send payment with the form?
No. DEP invoices you after processing the registration, so enclosing a check creates a billing mismatch; wait for the invoice and pay then.
Do I need an EIN to file as a company?
Yes. The Employer Identification Number is required for organizations because DEP uses it to confirm identity and prevent duplicate records, and a blank EIN gets the form returned.
Do farm fuel tanks always need registration?
No. A farm tank of 1,100 gallons or less storing crop or livestock substances is exempt under code A4, but a larger tank or one used for resale must register.
Do I use the Amended box when I buy tanks that stay at the same site?
No. A purchase of tanks remaining on site is Change of Ownership in Section V, not Amended, and using the wrong box misroutes your form.
Do I have to register a heating-oil tank used on my own property?
No. An on-premises heating-oil tank of 30,000 gallons or less is exempt under code A2, as long as the fuel is used only for heating where it is stored.
Do I have a deadline to report changes after I am registered?
Yes. You must file an amended form within 30 days of any change in ownership, tank status, substance, capacity, or contact information, or you fall out of compliance.
Do state-owned and federal tanks pay the registration fee?
No. State-government tanks are exempt from the fee and federal tanks get a 20 percent discount, but both must still register every regulated tank.
Related reading
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- How to Fill Out the Pennsylvania DEP Underground Storage Tank Registration Form
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