Weights & Measures

The Weights and Measures Division plays a vital role in promoting fairness and accuracy in the marketplace. By ensuring that products are correctly labeled, priced, weighed, and measured, it helps build consumer trust and confidence. The division regularly inspects commercial devices like scales, gas pumps, and meters to ensure they are functioning accurately and meeting specifications. The division enforces quantity control laws covering areas such as price verification and packaging standards. It also verifies weighmaster compliance, and the quality, advertising, and labeling of petroleum products. Consumers are encouraged to report any concerns – such as overcharges, mislabeled items, short weight packages, or malfunctioning equipment – to help maintain transparency, accountability, and integrity in every transaction.

2025 Device, Scanner, & Packaging Registration is still open!

You will need your permit number and service location address. Please pay the exact amount due.

Our Fee Schedule can be found here.

Payments by check can be mailed to:

Please make checks payable to “County of Ventura”

For New Registrations or Changes to Existing Registrations

For New Registrations or Updates to Existing Registrations: All businesses that use a weighing or measuring device for commercial purposes, utilize price scanners, or operate as commercial packers (pack more than 10,000 packages per year) must be registered with Ventura County Agricultural/Weights & Measures. Registration fees help offset the cost of inspection of these devices, scanners, and packages.

If you are a new business or need to update existing information—such as billing address, contact details, device type or quantity, or the number of scanners—please complete and submit the registration form. The completed form can be sent by mail or emailed to: weights.measures@venturacounty.gov

Registration fees help offset the cost of inspection of these devices, scanners and packages. Contact us at: (805) 654-2444 or weights.measures@venturacounty.gov

Devices

Any device used to weigh or measure products or services for direct sale must be an approved type and annually registered. This includes gasoline pumps, grocery and deli scales, water, gas and electric submeters, electric vehicle chargers, water vending machines, and truck scales among others.

Devices are affixed with the Division’s seal upon demonstration of compliance with accuracy tolerances and device type standards. Devices that favor the device owner are immediately prohibited from being used. Device owners benefit when advised that a device favors the customer.

Measuring Devices

Devices include commercial retail gasoline meters, electric vehicle charging stations, water vending machines, and submeters (water, electric, vapor) among others.

Weighing Devices

Devices include grocery and deli scales, truck scales, platform scales, jewelry scales, hopper scales and a wide variety of other scales.

Packaging (labeling & net quantity)

All prepackaged commodities—such as boxes of pastries, fresh-cut fruit cups, or trays of ground beef—must include a label with a net content statement. Package inspections are performed to ensure the labeled weight or volume accurately reflects the actual contents. If a package is found to be short on weight or volume, it must be removed from sale until it is properly repackaged or relabeled.

Price Verification

Price verification inspections (commonly referred to as scanner inspections) are performed at stores that utilize barcode or price look-up systems to scan items at checkout. These inspections ensure consumers are charged the lowest advertised or posted price. If a store charges more at the register than the advertised price, it is considered a violation. Any pricing errors must be corrected immediately in-store.

Registered Service Agent

A device repair technician must obtain a Registered Service Agent (RSA) license from the California Department of Food and Agriculture – Division of Measurement Standards (CDFA – DMS) before selling, installing, servicing, or repairing/calibrating commercial weighing and measuring devices. RSA’s are required to notify the Sealer whenever they install or repair a commercial device. Our county Inspectors validate the accuracy of their repairs. More information regarding RSA licenses can be found at:

Petroleum

Inspections and sampling of fuel and lubricants are performed for quality standards. Inspection of price signs and labeling at gas stations are performed for uniformity and compliance with state law.

Weighmaster

Weighmasters and their deputies are licensed by CDFA – DMS to certify the weight, measure, or count of any commodity when the purchaser is not present at the time of sale. Some of the common examples of such transactions are sand, gravel, ready-mix concrete, bulk materials, and agricultural products. Specific criteria must be followed when issuing weighmaster certificates. Weighmasters are regularly inspected to ensure the accuracy of their certifications. More information regarding Weighmaster program can be found at: