The petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas transport license renewal is the mandatory procedure to extend for an equal three-year period (Decreto 109-97 Art. 30(c)) the commercial authorization issued by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) of MEM to fuel and natural gas transport companies. The process must start well in advance to avoid automatic fleet disablement.

Quick summary: MEM-DGH renewal for an equal 3-year period (Decreto 109-97 Art. 30(c)). File at least 30 days before expiry (Art. 31). Cost Q8,000-Q35,000+. Requires a compliance report for the prior period, valid insurance and tanker recalibration. Operating with an expired license is illegal — fines and seizure.

Who Must Renew

Any company holding a valid hydrocarbon transport license that plans to keep operating after expiration. Applies to:

  • Third-party transporters with tanker fleets serving refineries, wholesalers or service stations.
  • Distributors with own fleets moving gasoline, diesel, bunker, jet fuel, bulk LPG or natural gas.
  • Pipeline and polyduct operators with current authorization.
  • Vessels and rail with prior hydrocarbon authorization.

Important: Renewal is not automatic. If the procedure is not started, the license expires and units become disabled on the expiration date — there is no administrative grace period.

Critical Deadlines

Time before expirationRecommended action
30 days (legal minimum, Decreto 109-97 Art. 31)Last point to file the renewal request with the Dirección, attaching only the licence being renewed
After filing (Art. 32)Once the requirements are met, the final resolution should take no more than 20 days; if the Dirección does not resolve in that time, the request is deemed approved
Day 0Expiration — if not renewed, units are disabled

Requirements

RequirementDetail
Renewal applicationAddressed to the Director General of Hydrocarbons, signed by legal representative
Prior licenseCertified copy of the current resolution (about to expire)
Compliance reportActivity report for the prior period: routes operated, incidents (if any), volumes transported, DGH observations addressed
Current SAT tax solvencyUpdated solvencia fiscal
Active NITNo SAT arrears — verifiable in CUI-NIT lookup
Valid insurance policiesCivil liability with validity covering at least the first renewed year
Tanker recalibrationsCurrent calibration certificates (DIPROEC or equivalent) per unit
Updated fleet inventoryUnit additions, retirements and changes; capacities and routes
Current or renewed MARN environmental licenseUpdated B1 or A environmental license
Active commercial registrationNo Mercantile Registry sanctions
Training certificatesCurrent hazardous-materials transport course certificates for drivers
Administrative fee paymentsSAT and MEM payment receipts

Steps

  1. Internal pre-audit. 6 months before expiration, audit insurance, calibrations, training and environmental license. Identify documents that expire between filing and the new resolution.
  2. DGH meeting. Request a preventive meeting with the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons. Verify whether there were regulatory changes, increased minimum insurance amounts or new technical requirements.
  3. Renew insurance and calibrations. Contract policies covering at least the new period. Recalibrate tankers with an accredited entity. Update driver training.
  4. Compliance report. Prepare a prior-period report: transport statistics, incidents (if any), responses to DGH observations, improvements implemented.
  5. MARN environmental renewal (if applicable). If the MARN environmental license expires in the same window, renew it in parallel — MEM will not approve without a current environmental license.
  6. File submission. Submit the complete package at MEM’s central offices (Diagonal 17, 29-78, Zone 11 Las Charcas, Guatemala City). A case number is assigned.
  7. Follow-up inspections. DGH inspects tankers, premises and documentation. Address observations quickly to avoid delays.
  8. Resolution and payment. Upon approval, pay the MEM administrative fee and receive the new resolution for an equal three-year period (Art. 30(c)).

Cost & Time

  • Cost: Variable. Q8,000-Q35,000+ typical (MEM admin fee + recalibrations + insurance + environmental renewal). Cheaper than the initial license because legal incorporation and the full Environmental Impact Assessment are not repeated from scratch.
  • Time: 30-60 business days from a complete file. Without observations, the process is faster than the first license.
  • Validity: renewable for equal periods of 3 years for transport with mobile units (Decreto 109-97 Art. 30(c)).

How to Apply

The procedure is not online. Everything is in person at DGH:

Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) — MEM Diagonal 17, 29-78, Zone 11 Las Charcas, Guatemala City (MEM central offices) Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00-16:30 Phone: (502) 2419-1717 Service portal: tramites.gob.gt/servicio/2392/

Tip: Keep a compliance calendar (license, insurance, calibrations, training, environmental license) on a tracking sheet to avoid surprises. Ideally, assign a compliance officer to monitor dates and trigger renewal 6 months out.

What If The License Already Expired

If the license expired without renewal, options are limited:

  • Reactivation (short delays): Some resolutions allow reactivation with a fine, but it is not automatic. Consult directly with DGH.
  • New license from scratch: If months passed, you generally must apply for a new license — with all the original requirements and timelines.
  • Operational suspension: Meanwhile, tankers cannot legally operate. Any movement is exposed to fines and seizure.

Common Changes During Renewal

Renewal is a good opportunity to update:

  • Tanker additions and retirements — incorporate new units, retire obsolete tankers.
  • Authorized route changes — add new departmental routes or terminals.
  • Product expansion — move from diesel-only to multi-product (gasoline + diesel + bulk LPG).
  • Change of corporate name or legal representative — corporate update.

Penalties for Operating With an Expired License

The Hydrocarbon Marketing Law (Decree 109-97) treats operating with an expired license the same as operating without one:

  • Fines of Q10,000 to Q500,000+ per detected event
  • Seizure of product and tanker in joint National Civil Police-MEM operations
  • Permanent suspension for repeat offenses
  • Criminal liability in case of incidents (spills, fires, damages)