Check a PSQCA Licence Before Buying a Gas Heater, Geyser or Cable
Check a PSQCA licence online before you buy a gas heater, geyser or cable. We searched PSQCA's tool: all 27 gas appliance licences showed expired. Steps here.
Before you buy a gas heater, gas geyser, gas stove, fan, LED bulb or electric cable in Pakistan, check that it has a PSQCA licence. PSQCA's free online tool at icq.psqca.com.pk lets you search by product, maker or licence number and shows "Valid" or "Expired". When we searched on 2 October 2026, none of the 27 gas appliance licences it listed showed as valid.
PSQCA is the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, the federal body that sets Pakistan Standards. For products on its compulsory list, a maker needs a PSQCA licence to sell. That licence lets the maker print the PS mark, PSQCA's quality mark, on the product.
Products that must carry a PSQCA licence
PSQCA's compulsory list covers 176 items, from cooking oil to cement. For a home buyer the important ones are gas appliances, electric cables, lights, fans, irons, plugs, switches and some large appliances. PSQCA treats these as items that must meet a Pakistan Standard before sale.
We read the full list on PSQCA's own compulsory items page. It numbers 176 entries. PSQCA's own FAQ page says 166, so its two pages do not agree. Either way, these home products are on it:
| Product | Pakistan Standard |
|---|---|
| Gas water heater (geyser) | PS 4858 |
| Gas room heater, unvented or semi vented | PS 3656 |
| Gas room heater, vented | PS 4859 |
| Gas stove and gas cooking range | PS 1560 and PS 4857 |
| PVC insulated house wiring cable | PS IEC 60227 |
| LED bulbs, fans, irons, plugs and switches | Listed under their own standards |
Helmets are not on the list. We found no helmet standard on the compulsory page and no helmet in the licence search, so a helmet will not show up in this check. Food is covered too: banaspati, cooking oil and bottled water need licences, which is why failed ghee and oil samples matter.
Our check found no valid gas heater licence online
We searched every gas appliance category in PSQCA's tool on 2 October 2026. All 27 records showed as expired: 15 geysers, 4 unvented heaters, 1 vented heater and 7 stoves. Cable and LED searches did return valid licences.
The 15 gas water heater licences had "valid up to" dates between 2019 and June 2025. The latest gas room heater date was August 2025. Fans returned 35 records and switches 3, also all expired.
The tool is not simply out of date. For PVC house cable it showed at least five licences as valid, with issue dates as recent as June 2026 and expiry dates in December 2026 and December 2027. One LED bulb licence also showed as valid.
We cannot tell from the website why every gas appliance shows as expired. Renewals may not have been entered online, or the licences may have lapsed. We have not asked PSQCA yet. What it means for you is simple: right now the online check cannot confirm a gas heater or geyser. Ask the shop for the current licence, and call PSQCA if it cannot show one.
How to check a PSQCA licence online, step by step
Open PSQCA's licence page, pick the product from the list or type the licence number, and press Search. The result shows the maker, brand, issue date, valid up to date and status. It takes about one minute and needs no login.
- Open the tool. Go to the CM License Verification page. CM means Certification Marks, PSQCA's licence scheme.
- Search by licence number if you have it. Licence numbers look like CM/L followed by digits and a year. Type the number without spaces.
- Or search by product. Pick the product, for example "Gas Water Heater", from the drop down list. The page reloads with every licence for that product.
- Or search by maker. Type the company name printed on the box. The field only accepts letters.
- Read two columns. "Valid Upto" must be a future date, and "Status" must say Valid. Check that the brand matches the box in your hand.
Do this in the shop, on your phone, before you pay. A seller who is sure of the product will not mind. If a seller tells you the PS mark is "not needed" for a gas heater, the compulsory list says otherwise.
Expired or missing licence: what to do next
Do not buy a gas appliance that cannot show a valid licence. If you already bought it, keep the receipt and box, report it to PSQCA through its online complaint form, and ask the seller for a refund in writing.
The law here is clear. Section 10 of the PSQCA Act 1996 bans using PSQCA's marks without a licence. Section 20 sets up to one year in jail, a fine of at least Rs 30,000, or both, for that. Section 22 sets up to one year or a fine of at least Rs 50,000 for selling a product the government has barred for not meeting its standard. Those are the figures in the Act as published on PSQCA's site; later amendments may have changed them.
PSQCA's complaint form has a "Product" option. Its Lahore conformity office lists 042 3511 8022. When PSQCA finds a fault, its own page says it first gives the maker 10 to 15 days to fix it, then a show cause notice, then a court case.
For your money back, the route is the consumer court. A consumer court claim is free, but it starts with a written notice to the seller, and the time limit is short. For gas cylinders, the checks are different, and LPG cylinder safety has its own rules from OGRA.
Once the heater is home, follow the gas company's winter rules in how to use a gas heater or geyser safely.
Common questions
Is the PS mark compulsory on gas heaters in Pakistan?
Yes. Gas water heaters, gas room heaters and gas stoves are all on PSQCA's compulsory list, under PS 4858, PS 3656, PS 4859 and PS 1560.
Can I check a PSQCA licence online for free?
Yes. The CM License Verification page at icq.psqca.com.pk is free and needs no login. Search by licence number, maker or product.
Why does every gas geyser licence show as expired?
PSQCA's website does not say. On 2 October 2026 all 27 gas appliance records showed as expired. Ask the seller for a current licence before you buy.
Do helmets need a PSQCA licence?
Not under the compulsory list we read on 2 October 2026. Helmets do not appear on it, and the licence search has no helmet category.
What is the penalty for selling without a PSQCA licence?
Under the 1996 Act as published, misusing PSQCA's mark carries up to one year in jail or a fine of at least Rs 30,000. Selling a barred product carries at least Rs 50,000.
Where do I complain about a fake PS mark?
Use the complaint form on psqca.com.pk and choose "Product". You can also call PSQCA's conformity office in Lahore on 042 3511 8022.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked at about 4:35 am PKT on 2 October 2026. We read PSQCA's compulsory items list (176 entries), its FAQ page (which says 166), its Certification Mark Scheme, follow up and contacts pages, the complaint form, and the PSQCA Act 1996 PDF on psqca.com.pk. We ran PSQCA's CM License Verification tool ourselves for 14 product categories and counted each Valid and Expired record. We did not contact PSQCA, so we do not know why the gas appliance records show as expired, and we did not check any physical product label. We have not named any brand, because an expired online record is not proof that a product is unsafe.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
