CHARGE OVER PUBLISHER'S PRETORIA TIE IS DISMISSED

A Federal judge today dismissed charges against John P. McGoff, a publisher accused of failing to register as a foreign agent of the South African Government.

The judge, Charles R. Richey, ruled in Federal District Court here that the Government failed to file the charges against Mr. McGoff, who heads the Global Communication Corporation of Williamson, Mich., within the required five-year statute of limitations on such prosecutions.

Mr. McGoff's lawyers had moved for dismissal of the charges, citing the time limit.

The Justice Department charged that Mr. McGoff had acted on behalf of the South African Government from mid-February 1974 to August 1979 but never registered as an agent.

Judge Richey said that Mr. McGoff would have been required to register as an agent up to June 13, 1979. On that day, the judge said, ''the obligation of the defendant to register ended and thus triggered the general five-year statute of limitations, which expired approximately two years before this information was filed in this court.''

Judge Richey said he disagreed with the Government's argument that there was no statute of limitations because Mr. McGoff never registered as a foreign agent. Tried to Buy The Washington Star

The charge against Mr. McGoff, who is 62 years old, stemmed from his attempt in 1974 and 1975 to buy The Washington Star, a newspaper that has since closed, with money thought to have been provided by the South African Government, and his 1975 purchase of an interest in The Sacramento Union, which he has since sold.

A 1979 investigation by the Pretoria Government found that $11.35 million for the purchases was transferred to Mr. McGoff through a Swiss bank account.

The 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act provides that ''failure to file any such registration statement . . . shall be considered a continuing offense for as long as such failure exists, notwithstanding any statute of limitation or other statute to the contrary.''

Because Mr. McGoff never registered, the Government maintained, there was no statute of limitations.

Mr. McGoff, who was charged with acting as an agent of South Africa by engaging in political activities, disseminating political propaganda, serving as a publicity agent and political consultant, and disbursing money or other things of value within the United States for or in the interest of South Africa, pleaded innocent Nov. 26.