NTEP Certified Scales: Legal-For-Trade
If your business sells goods or products directly to consumers based on weight, accuracy in measurement affects your bottom line. Money exchanges for goods in the U.S. must use NTEP certified scales. These scales must be legal-for-trade. Industries required to use them vary depending on the state.
Why should I buy an NTEP Scale?
The National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) governs the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP). This program supplies certification for scales manufactured and sold as legal-for-trade.
This certification implies that a scale has passed a number of strict tests. It has been verified and validated as suitable for its intended purpose. Stringent NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) standards provide the guidelines for this certification.
All but three states and the U.S. Virgin Islands recognize and require NTEP-certified scales. However, the industries and applications that require certification are left to the discretion of each state individually. Contact your industry’s governing body within your state to determine which applications you may be using that require NTEP certification.
Experts recommend buying an NTEP scale. This is to guarantee that measuring quality meets strict standards, no matter the application.
Sources:
The National Conference on Weights and Measures, 2021.https://www.ncwm.com/ntep-states.