Weights & Measures Inspection

For hundreds of years, your state and local weights and measures officials have been working behind the scenes to protect consumers, businesses, and manufacturers from unfair practices and to assure equity in the marketplace

These men and women use highly accurate field standards and equipment to inspect and test commercially used scales, meters, scanning equipment and packaged products.  They also inspect weighing and measuring equipment and packages at warehouses, packing plants, feed mills, shipping companies, lumber yards, and gasoline stations.  They act as a third party to help maintain fairness and keep the marketplace in balance.

Pennsylvania has a metrology laboratory, which has a set of standard weights and measures.  These are used to check the accuracy of the field standards used by weights and measures officials and industry.

Almost everything we buy is sold by weight, volume, length, count, or measure.  Think of examples - a dozen eggs, a gallon of milk, a liter of wine, a yard of cloth, a pound of hamburger, a cord of firewood.  Without standard measurements, it would be difficult to do even simple things like use cookbooks or buy carpeting, laundry detergent, and fabric.

• Retail Motor Fuel Dispensers
• Coal
  
• Firewood
• Home Heating Oil
• Liquid Propane Gas
• Small and Medium Commercial Scales
• Large Truck Scales
• Checkout Scanner Systems
• Package Checking
• Timing Devices
• Petroleum Terminal Facilities

Consumer protection is a critical part of the work done by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.  The Bureau of Rides and Measurement Standards provides consumers with real-time access to the inspection reports for weighing and measuring devices from across the state.  By reviewing the inspection records of these devices, consumers can ensure they are getting what they paid for whenever they participate in a commercial transaction.  Visit the Weights and Measures Inspection Search database.

• 2022 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
• 2021 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
• 2020 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
• 2019 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
• 2018 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
• 2017 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
• 2016 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
• 2015 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
  
• 2014 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
  
• 2013 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
  
• 2012 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
  
• 2011 Weights and Measures Annual Report (PDF)
• Getting What You Pay For Brochure (PDF)

• Weights and Measures