Regulator Profile

Trading Standards

Trading Standards (Local Authority)

Enforcement Regulator

3

Areas of regulation

48

Laws enforced

UK-wide

Quick links

Visit official website

Consumer Protection Labelling Weights Measures

What Trading Standards does

Enforces consumer protection legislation including food labelling, weights and measures, product safety, and fair trading. Part of local authority structure. Investigates food labelling breaches.

Additional information

Contact via local council. National body: Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

Legal framework

Legislation that Trading Standards enforces.

Primary legislation

• Trade Descriptions Act 1968 Act 1968
• Hallmarking Act 1973 Act 1973
• Prices Act 1974 Act 1974
• Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 Act 1977
• Estate Agents Act 1979 Act 1979
• Video Recordings Act 1984 Act 1984
• Weights and Measures Act 1985 Act 1985
• Consumer Protection Act 1987 Act 1987
• Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 Act 1988
• Food Safety Act 1990 Act 1990
• Trade Marks Act 1994 Act 1994
• Knives Act 1997 Act 1997
• Enterprise Act 2002 Act 2002
• Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 Act 2002
• Licensing Act 2003 Act 2003
• Animal Welfare Act 2006 Act 2006
• Fraud Act 2006 Act 2006
• Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 Act 2008
• Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 Act 2010
• Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 Act 2013
• Consumer Rights Act 2015 Act 2015
• Offensive Weapons Act 2019 Act 2019
• Tenant Fees Act 2019 Act 2019
• Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 Act 2022
• Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 Act 2025

Secondary legislation

• Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 UK Statutory Instrument 1999
• Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 UK Statutory Instrument 2002
• Fireworks Regulations 2004 UK Statutory Instrument 2004
• Price Marking Order 2004 UK Statutory Instrument 2004
• General Product Safety Regulations 2005 UK Statutory Instrument 2005
• Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations 2006 UK Statutory Instrument 2006
• Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 UK Statutory Instrument 2008
• Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 UK Statutory Instrument 2008
• Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 UK Statutory Instrument 2011
• Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 UK Statutory Instrument 2012
• ... and 13 more statutory instruments

Sectors regulated

Retail