CST State Weights & Measures Laws 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A scale technician is asked to service a scale in a state where they are not licensed. Under most state weights and measures laws, what is the likely consequence?
- Service may proceed if the manufacturer approves
- The technician may face civil or criminal penalties for unlicensed practice (Correct answer)
- The technician may work if supervised by a licensed employee of the business
- No penalty applies because licensing is federally regulated
Correct answer: The technician may face civil or criminal penalties for unlicensed practice
States that require scale technician licensing impose penalties on individuals who perform commercial device repair or adjustment without the proper state-issued license.
Question 2: Under state weights and measures law, which of the following actions by a business owner is considered 'fraud by weight'?
- Failing to post the device's model number
- Intentionally adjusting a scale to give short weight to customers (Correct answer)
- Using a device with a minor cosmetic defect
- Operating a scale without a current annual sticker
Correct answer: Intentionally adjusting a scale to give short weight to customers
Intentionally manipulating a scale to cheat customers of product weight constitutes fraud by weight, a serious violation under state law.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'net weight' as defined in state weights and measures statutes?
- The weight of the product plus its container
- The weight of the product alone, excluding the container or packaging (Correct answer)
- The weight as measured before any tare is applied
- The average weight across a batch of identical packages
Correct answer: The weight of the product alone, excluding the container or packaging
Net weight refers solely to the weight of the product contents, excluding any packaging, wrapping, or container weight.
Question 4: A state inspector finds that a scale's zero-balance drifts beyond tolerance after only 10 minutes of operation. The most appropriate regulatory action is to:
- Issue a warning to the operator and schedule a return visit
- Condemn the scale and prohibit its use until repaired and re-tested (Correct answer)
- Allow use if the operator manually rezeros every 10 minutes
- Issue a variance because zero drift is not covered by state law
Correct answer: Condemn the scale and prohibit its use until repaired and re-tested
A scale that cannot maintain zero-balance within tolerance during commercial use fails inspection and must be condemned until properly repaired.
Question 5: State weights and measures laws typically require that a 'certificate of conformance' or approval number appear on which document related to a commercial device?
- The business's annual tax filing
- The device's Certificate of Conformance (CoC) or type evaluation approval (Correct answer)
- The operator's personnel file
- The store's fire safety inspection report
Correct answer: The device's Certificate of Conformance (CoC) or type evaluation approval
A Certificate of Conformance or type evaluation approval number confirms that the device model has been tested and meets legal requirements for commercial use.
Question 6: When a state weights and measures law uses the term 'commercially used device,' which of the following is most likely included?
- A personal bathroom scale in a private home
- A laboratory analytical balance used only for research
- A retail grocery scale used to weigh deli products sold to customers (Correct answer)
- A scale used exclusively for internal inventory tracking with no sales transactions
Correct answer: A retail grocery scale used to weigh deli products sold to customers
A commercially used device is any weighing instrument employed in transactions where money changes hands based on weight, such as a deli scale used to price food sold to customers.
Question 7: State law in many jurisdictions requires that weighing devices at retail be positioned so that the weight indicator is clearly visible to whom?
- Only the cashier or operator
- The store manager reviewing records
- The customer being served (Correct answer)
- The weights and measures inspector during inspection only
Correct answer: The customer being served
Consumer protection provisions in state law typically mandate that scale displays be positioned so customers can see the weight reading during the transaction.
CST State Weights & Measures Laws 3
A scale technician is asked to service a scale in a state where they are not licensed.
Under most state weights and measures laws, what is the likely consequence?