ILSAC GF-6 first licensing date is May 2020
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API to start accepting online applications for ILSAC GF-6 and API SP license in January

July 9, 2019

The American Petroleum Institute (API) will start accepting online applications for ILSAC GF-6 and API SP licenses on 1 January 2020.

Last week, API announced that its Lubricants Standards Group has approved by letter ballot the adoption of two new ILSAC specifications, GF-6A and GF-6B, and a new API Service Category, API SP. The two new ILSAC specifications represent the latest performance requirements for gasoline engine oils set by the International Lubricant Specification Advisory Committee (ILSAC), and API Service S, the newest API gasoline engine oil standard.

As part of the introduction of the ILSAC specifications and API SP, API is also introducing a new API Certification Mark “Shield” that will identify oils meeting the ILSAC GF-6B specification. The specific requirements for this revised Mark are provided in the latest edition of API 1509, which can be downloaded from the API website at https://www.api.org/products-and-services/engine-oil/documents/api-1509-documents.

Of all the changes approved or under consideration, the most important are the following: 

  • Starting 1 May 2020, products meeting ILSAC GF-6A may be licensed to display the API Certification Mark “Starburst,” ILSAC GF-6B the new API Certification Mark “Shield,” and API Service SP for use in the upper portion of the API Service Symbol “Donut.”
  • Until 30 April 2021, ILSAC GF-5 also provides a basis for issuance of a license to use the API Certification Mark “Starburst.”
  • Effective 1 May 2021, ILSAC GF-6A provides the only basis for issuance of a license to use the API Certification Mark “Starburst.” Oils meeting ILSAC GF-5 will no longer be eligible to display the API Certification Mark “Starburst” and will no longer appear on the online engine Oil Licensing and Certification System (EOLCS) Directory after 30 April 2021.
  • Oils meeting SP with Resource Conserving requirements may be licensed to display “Resource Conserving” in the lower portion of the API Service Symbol in conjunction with API Service SP in the upper portion.
  • Marketers are free to identify qualifying oils as meeting ILSAC GF-6A, GF-6B, and API Service SP prior to the 1 May 2020 first licensing date but must avoid statements that imply API certification or licensing of the new specifications and service category in advance of that date.

Marketers that want to claim their oils are licensed by API as meeting ILSAC GF-6A, GF-6B, and/or API SP on the first licensing date must apply for licensing of the GF-6A, GF-6B, and API SP oils through the online application system at https://engineoil.api.org/AccountManager/WelcomeMarketer.

Oils licensed against the new standards will not appear in the online EOLCS Directory until 1 May 2020.

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