Iowa Department of Agriculture E15 Access Mandate Safe Harbor Deadline – September 30, 2025

Iowa Department of Agriculture E15 Access Mandate Safe Harbor Deadline – September 30, 2025

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) E15 Access Mandate Safe Harbor deadline is September 30, 2025. Iowa gasoline retailers subject to the state E15 mandate who do not qualify for a waiver or who have encountered obstacles in completing infrastructure projects are encouraged to pursue a Safe Harbor designation through IDALS. As a reminder, the E15 mandate arms IDALS with the authority to assess fines of up to $1,000 per day and the revocation of a gasoline retailer’s license to sell fuel.

To qualify for the Safe Harbor Policy made available to gasoline retailers by IDALS, a gasoline retailer will need to submit an E15 mandate Safe Harbor Application to IDALS by September 30, 2025. The Safe Harbor Application must be supported with documentation proving one of the following two criteria have been met:

1. An order for fuel system upgrades has been placed with a licensed installer. This must be supported by a purchase order, invoice, receipt, or similar documentation.

2. A completed, active, ethanol grant application has been submitted to IDALS for Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program (RFIP) cost-share funding to offer E15 by September 30, 2025.

Both criteria used to apply for a Safe Harbor designation must be supported by the signature of an Iowa Licensed Installer. If a Safe Harbor designation is granted by IDALS, IDALS have stated that they will delay enforcement action against a gasoline retailer through September 30, 2026.

IDALS application for Safe Harbor status along with information on applying to the Iowa Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Grant Program can be found here. FUELIowa members with questions on navigating their way through Iowa’s E15 Access Mandate are encouraged to contact John Maynes in the FUELIowa office at 515-421-4043 or john@fueliowa.com