Weights and Measures

Types of Devices Tested

Large Capacity Scales (1000 lbs. or greater)

These devices include scales used for weighing livestock, coal, gravel, vehicles, and similar items; inspections are conducted at auction yards, ranches, ports of entry, mine sites, construction sites, gravel pits and railroad yards.

Small Capacity Scales (up to 999 lbs.)

Scales are inspected to ensure that they are accurate for the services in which they are used, that they are installed properly, and positioned so that customers can see the display.

Motor Fuel

Test all gasoline pumps for accurate measurement, storage tanks for water, test fuel for quality (octane).

• Video: Watch an inspector perform a gasoline pump test

Package Inspection

All packages, cans, bottles, and containers that have a weight, measure, or count declaration are subject to inspection. Routine verification of the net contents of packages is done to facilitate value comparison and fair competition. Inspections are done at point-of-pack locations, storage warehouses, retail stores, and wholesale outlets.

Price Verification (Check out register)

All businesses that use a check-out register used at the final point of sale as a means for pricing for commercial sales are subject to inspection. Testing is done by randomly selecting items, recording the display price, then verifying the posted price matches the price charged at the checkout register. A passing score is 98% or above, meaning that only one of each 50 items selected is allowed to be incorrect.

Check-out Register Definition R70-960-2: Check-out register means any device that is commercially used in a price verification system at a check-out register. Included are those devices that use Universal Product Code (U.P.C.) scanners, Electronic Product Code (E. P. C.) readers, manual entries, or any current or future use of any device that could be used at the final point of sale as a means for pricing for commercial sales.

Large Capacity Petroleum and Water Meters

Inspections are conducted on airport fuel trucks, all fuel delivery trucks, cement batch plant water meters, asphalt plant meters, and other large meters.

Propane (LPG)

All propane delivery trucks, and all retail dispensers at service stations are subject to inspection.