01The Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center
The Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center (HERC) is a government body within the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), created by Council of Ministers Resolution No. (488) dated 24/8/1442 AH, corresponding to 4 April 2021. Its objective, as SASO states it, is “to regulate the heavy equipment sector and its activities within its competence, so as to ensure their quality and safety, without prejudice to the competence of other government bodies”.
Among the Center’s competences in its regulatory arrangements are accrediting the training bodies for heavy equipment operators, and setting the rules needed to qualify and license their operators. Its supervisory committee has adopted the controls for accrediting inspection and oversight bodies for the safety of heavy equipment.
02Who may register
The official service page limits the beneficiary categories of self-registration to two: establishments and government entities. It does not list individuals among the beneficiaries of the registration service, although they appear as beneficiaries of other services of the Center such as the equipment operating permit and the equipment operator licence.
An establishment submits the application through someone who holds a legal power of attorney or an electronic authorisation from it, and this is the first requirement of the service.
03Covered equipment and the limits of competence
The heavy equipment within the Center’s competence is defined by its supervisory committee in the text of its regulatory arrangements. The Council of Ministers resolution required the committee, when defining it, to avoid creating any overlap or duplication of competences, including those relating to registration, licensing, inspection, oversight or carrying out the periodic technical inspection of vehicles, based on the Traffic Law and its implementing regulations and on the Periodic Technical Inspection of Vehicles Regulation.
As of the date this guide was reviewed, the available official texts do not publish a list of the covered equipment types, nor a specific penalty for not registering a machine or for operating it without a permit. What the service page does state is that the Center has the right to reject or suspend a request, or to cancel the registration later, if the controls are not met or incorrect information is proven.
04Service requirements
The official service page states the following requirements:
- A legal power of attorney or an electronic authorisation for the beneficiary, in the case of establishments.
- The machine must be free of legal claims and liabilities.
- Payment of the service fee.
- A declaration and undertaking that the information, data and conditions of the service are correct.
- Filling in the forms, attaching the required documents and uploading images of the machine.
The official service page does not display a detailed list of documents; the reference is what the portal asks for when the application is filled in.
05The service in numbers
| Item | What the service page states |
|---|---|
| Service name | Equipment Self-Registration |
| Beneficiary categories | Establishments and government entities |
| Channel | The Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center web portal, with sign-in through Unified National Access |
| Fee | SAR 250 |
| Processing time | 5 working days |
| Deadline to complete remarks | 30 working days from the date of notification, otherwise the request is cancelled automatically |
| Output | Equipment registration document |
| Payment methods | mada, Mastercard, SADAD and Visa |
These values are set by the Center and may be updated; what applies is what the portal displays when the application is submitted.
06Services that follow registration
Registration is the entry point to the Center’s other services. These services are as stated on their official pages:
| Service | Fee | What the service page states |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment operating permit | SAR 80 for six months, or SAR 160 for twelve months, depending on the equipment category or type | An appointment is booked for the technical inspection at one of the inspection bodies accredited by the Center, the body uploads the result to the portal within two working days, the permit is issued automatically on passing the inspection, and on failure a new inspection appointment is booked. |
| Issuing or renewing an equipment operator licence | SAR 210 for 3 years | Issued after passing training at a body accredited by the Center. |
| Equipment ownership transfer | SAR 100 | The machine must be registered with the Center, the seller and the buyer must both have an activated account, the machine must not be leased, delegated, stolen or damaged, and there must be no violations on the seller, the buyer or the machine. The seller starts the request, and the buyer approves and pays. |
| Equipment lease | SAR 100 | The machine must have a valid operating permit, and the lease period must not extend beyond the permit’s expiry date. |
| Equipment delegation | Free | Only one delegate per machine, and a valid operating permit for the machine and a valid operator licence for the delegate are required. |
| Equipment scrapping | SAR 100 | A request to cancel the registration of the heavy machine. |
| Equipment export | SAR 100 | The export certificate issued by the Center is valid for 30 days. |
| Equipment theft notice | Free | A theft report must be filed at a police station before the service can be used. |
07How to apply
- 1
Sign in to the portal
Sign in to the Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center portal through Unified National Access.
- 2
Choose the service
Choose the “Equipment Self-Registration” service.
- 3
Fill in the application
Fill in the application form, attach the required documents and upload images of the machine.
- 4
Submit for review
Submit the application for review by the Center.
- 5
Complete the remarks
If there are remarks, the beneficiary is notified to complete them within 30 working days from the date of notification, otherwise the request is cancelled automatically.
- 6
Document issued
After the application is accepted, the “equipment registration document” is issued.
08Official source
- Authority
- Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center (HERC) — Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO)
- Service
- Equipment Self-Registration
- Last reviewed
09Frequently asked questions
The establishment signs in to the Center’s portal through Unified National Access, chooses the “Equipment Self-Registration” service, fills in the application form, attaches the required documents and the images of the machine, then submits the application for review. After it is accepted, the “equipment registration document” is issued.
It is the Center’s electronic portal, which belongs to the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, and sign-in is through Unified National Access. Its link is in the official source box on this page.
The official service page limits the beneficiary categories of self-registration to establishments and government entities, and does not list individuals among them.
According to the service page the fee is SAR 250 and the processing time is 5 working days. If the beneficiary is notified of remarks, they must complete them within 30 working days, otherwise the request is cancelled automatically.
The “equipment registration document” is issued, which is the entry point to the Center’s other services such as the operating permit, ownership transfer, lease and delegation.
No. The equipment operating permit is a separate service issued after passing the technical inspection at an inspection body accredited by the Center, and it lasts six months or twelve months depending on the equipment category or type.
The covered equipment is defined by the Center’s supervisory committee, without overlapping with what falls under the Traffic Law and the Periodic Technical Inspection of Vehicles Regulation. As of the date this guide was reviewed, the available official texts do not publish a list of its types.
As of the date this guide was reviewed, the available official texts do not publish a specific penalty for not registering. What is stated is that the Center has the right to reject or suspend a request, or to cancel the registration later, when the controls are not met or incorrect information is proven.
