Weights and Measures

        image (7).pngWeights and Measures Unit

The Weights and Measures program directly benefits all Marylanders by ensuring the fairness and equity of all commercial transactions involving determinations of quantity. This includes such day-to-day activities as:

  • the sale of food that is weighed by a scale in a supermarket;
  • the sale of gasoline through a gasoline pump; or,
  • the sale of fuel oil through a truck mounted meter.

Maryland weights and measures officials inspect and regulate devices used in determining the quantity of commodities as diverse as fuel oil, food products, livestock, grain, and precious metals.

Electronic scanning devices at the check-out counters in retail stores are inspected periodically in order to audit and verify prices stored in the retailer's computer. This office also regulates firewood and coal sales, even the amount of crab sold at a seafood store.

In addition to inspecting measuring devices, Weights and Measures officials also:

  • test the net contents of packaged goods that are labeled by weight, volume, or count;
  • conduct undercover buying and selling to insure that the entire transaction is conducted in an honest manner; and,
  • investigate consumer complaints.

Typically each year field staff conduct 35,000 to 45,000 inspections of commercial weighing and measuring devices and test about 4,000 individual lots of prepackaged commodities offered for sale.

Register a device online here. ​

Maryland Department of Agriculture Hosts the 78th Annual Southern Weights and Measures Association Conference​




Contact Information

Alison Wilkinson

Alison.Wilkinson@maryland.gov

Chief of Weights & Measures

Office Address:
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone:
410-841-5790
Fax:
410-841-2765​


Register a device online here


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