Weights and Measures inspections protect both buyers and sellers by ensuring that commercial weighing and measuring devices are accurate and prices for goods are correctly charged. The seal placed on these devices provides assurance that the device was accurate when we tested it. Most devices are tested each year.

The Device Inspection Program inspects a wide variety of scales ranging from pharmacy balances to truck scales and meters such as gasoline pumps, taxi meters and electric, vapor and water meters when these meters are not provided by a public utility. These private utility meters are often found in apartment complexes and mobile home parks and are tested every ten years due to their reliability. Devices that are inaccurate are placed out of order until repaired.

Enforcement of labeling and quality requirements for petroleum products in the Petroleum Inspection Program focuses on gas pump labeling and advertising signs at service stations. Price signs must have the three highest volume grades being sold and be visible from the street. Quality standards such as octane ratings in gasoline, standards of diesel fuel and contamination are also tested periodically and on complaint.

In the Quantity Control Consumer Protection Program, packaged items with a quantity statement are checked to ensure that quantity statements are correct. Most items purchased by people have some type of quantity statement either by weight, volume or count. Most of the inspections in this program are made on items packaged locally. The price scanning equipment in stores is inspected to verify that the store charges their lowest posted or advertised price. Undercover sales of recyclable items are conducted to verify the accuracy of these transactions.

If a weighing or measuring transaction is taking place without the customer being present as is often the case for construction materials, a weighmaster certificate must be issued. Audits of weighmaster records are conducted by Weighmaster Program personnel to ensure all of the required information is present. Reweighing of vehicles and containers to verify the accuracy of weight statements on issued certificates is performed. Complaints alleging fraudulent use of weighmaster certificates, are also investigated.

Quality standards, established by the State of California for fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, and honey, are enforced by the Standardization Program staff. Inspections at local produce and egg packing firms provides protection to consumers and wholesalers from substandard quality, mislabeled and deceptive packaging. Growers also benefit from this program by a uniform, orderly marketing of comparable products.

Direct Marketing has become a very popular way for growers to sell directly to the consumer, exempt from container and labeling requirements but not quality standards, at a certified farmers' market or at or near their farms. Growers of specific agricultural commodities can become "certified producers" and sell at a Certified Farmer's Market throughout the state. Inspections are made to verify growers produce the crops they sell and that the markets do not allow commercial dealers to sell purchased produce.