What this covers
Why you need it
Parliament created it. The power to require it comes from Weights and Measures Act 1985.
What the Act carries
What our graph holds for Weights and Measures Act 1985 as a whole — the Act behind this licence, not the licence conditions themselves.
- Duties on businesses
- 43
- Penalties
- 39
- Exemptions
- 26
Duties on businesses under the Act
- Sell solid fuel by improper weight or volume Schedule 5
- Use only approved units and measures for trade s.8
- Fail to comply with dual marking or conversion chart rules s.9
- Use illegal divisions on capacity measures s.10
- Ensure trade weighing and measuring equipment is tested and stamped s.11
- Misuse or supply measuring equipment with expired or restricted approval s.13
… and 37 more business duties in the same Act.
What happens if you get it wrong
- Cause another person to commit a weights and measures offence 2 years imprisonment
- Personal liability for corporate weights and measures offences 6 months imprisonment
- Fail to comply with packaging and quantity marking regulations Unlimited fine
- Dampen solid fuel with intent to defraud Unlimited fine
- Deliver short weight or measure to a customer Unlimited fine
… and 34 more penalties in the same Act.
Exemptions that may take you outside it
- Aerosol products containing FIC‑regulated goods exempt from specific marking — Aerosol products containing goods that are subject to the FIC Regulation (EU Regulation No. 1169/2011 on food information to consumers)
- Ballast in fixed container exempt from transport document — All ballast is carried in a container that does not form part of the vehicle (e.g. a removable skip or …
- Ballast sales exempt from volume/weight rules in specific cases — Quantity less than 1 tonne and less than 1 cubic metre, or sale for industrial use (for described ballast types), …
- Coal mines exempt from rail vehicle weighing rules — Annual solid fuel loaded by rail at a coal mine is not likely to exceed 101,600 tonnes, OR a shortage …
- Composite goods and mixtures exempt from individual quantity marking — Goods consist of a mixture made wholly or mainly of one or more descriptions of goods that are already subject …
… and 21 more exemptions in the same Act.
Read our full dossier on Weights and Measures Act 1985
Who issues it
Your local council issues this. Councils apply the same statute but set their own fees, conditions and timescales.
Where to apply
Duty, penalty and exemption labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the enabling instrument, not the instrument itself. Fees, forms and conditions are set by the issuing authority — always check the linked source.