Weights and Measures Program

New: Notice of New Fees Memo – August 2021

The primary focus of the Weights and Measures program is to ensure that equity prevails in the marketplace and that commodities bought or sold are accurately weighed or measured and properly identified.

All weighing or measuring devices used in a commercial application are subject to inspection to ensure their accuracy. This includes the weight or measure of foods, non-food products, services, scanners, or commodities purchased in the State of Utah. We also respond to numerous consumer complaints dealing with violations of the weights and measures laws.

Most items purchased each day are sold by weight, measure, or count. Inspection of weighing and measuring devices for correctness and accuracy helps to protect both consumers and retailers from unfair business practices.

Registration and Applications

Weights & Measures Establishment Registration
Weights & Measures Registered Service Person Application
Scales Used for Commerce in Utah
Look Up Registered Service Persons (Scroll to bottom of page and click on the '2301' button)

Utah Metrology Lab

Click here for information on the Utah Metrology Lab.

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).

Document: Ethanol Blended Gasoline Facts for Retailers & Consumers

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

Rule R70-960. Weights and Measures Fee Registration. R70-960-2. Definitions of Terms.

F. 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.