THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES PRINCIPLE
Weights and Measures ensures a fair marketplace by verifying products are sold by accurate weights, measures, and prices.Consumer protection:
- Accurate weighing and measurement of goods.
- False and deceptive advertising.
- Verification of the quantity of bulk & packaged goods.
- Enforce quality, advertising and labeling standards for most petroleum products.
OUR SERVICES ARE YOUR ECONOMIC PROTECTION
Weights and Measures activities are mandated by state law to protect the interests of both the buyer and seller to assure honesty and integrity in everyday business transactions. This protection is accomplished through continuous and systematic inspection of all equipment that weighs or measures a commodity or service that is sold.
INSPECTIONS
Our inspectors make routine, mostly unannounced inspections and audits. We are authorized to enter any business during regular operating hours to make those inspections.
For commercial devices, the inspector will place a paper seal with the current year on each device that is in compliance. When the device is out of tolerance, the device will need to be repaired by a California Registered Service Agent before it will pass inspection.
In the case of prepackaged goods, the inspector may take them off-sale if short weight or measure, or if they are not properly labeled.
INSPECTION TYPES
Devices
Any device used for commercial transactions must be inspected annually. These include: grocery store scales all the way up to large capacity truck scales; gas pumps; water vending machines; propane meters; wire, cordage, & fabric meters, utility electric and gas submeters.
Petroleum
Inspections assure minimum quality standards for most automotive products (gasoline, oxygenated blends, diesel fuel, motor oil, brake fluid, automatic transmission fluid, antifreeze/coolants and alternative engine fuels) sold in California. Additionally, the program regulates the advertising and labeling of these products.
Weighmaster
Official weighmaster certificates are legal documentation of a weight, measure, or count of a bulk commodity when one party is not present during the transaction. Diverse business such as rice milling plants, almond processors, cement plants, scrap metal yards, moving and storage companies, livestock dealers and rock quarries are all weighmasters. Inspections are done to ensure certificates are correct and quantities are derived properly.
Quantity Control
The Quantity Control Program's responsibilities include: checking packages for accuracy of net content statements; verifying that businesses request only the correct price when customers make purchases; and enforcement of "Fair Packaging and Labeling Act" requirements, including laws against misleading and deceptive packages or advertisements.
Consumer Complaints
All weights & measures complaints received from consumers are investigated. Some complaints are proved unfounded while others may need coordination with the District Attorney’s Office in order to prosecute violators.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?
Device Registration
All weighing and measuring devices used for commercial purposes within the County of Yuba shall be registered annually with the Yuba County Department of Weights and Measures.
A registration remains valid only so long as the holder pays the annual registration fees. Failure to pay such fees when due results in automatic termination of registration. No person may use or operate any commercial weighing or measuring device prior to being registered with Yuba County Department of Weights and Measures.
Violations of annual device registration requirements are considered either a misdemeanor or an infraction, at the discretion of the district attorney and are punishable by fines or imprisonment.
Type Approval
Commercial weighing and measuring devices used in California must be either CTEP or NTEP approved devices in order to be considered legal for trade.
“Commercial purposes” refers to devices that are:
- Used in buying, selling, or exchanging goods, things, or commodities.
- Used in determining value of goods or services for compensation or assessment.
- Used in establishing the cost for services or hire on the basis of measurement.
If an inspector finds an un-approved device, the device may be either seized or marked with a tag with the words “unapproved device”.
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