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South Carolina Scale Certification & Weights and Measures

✓ Verified from official sources — July 11, 2026

South Carolina runs a state-managed weights and measures program — commercial scale owners deal with the state agency directly. If you operate a commercial scale in South Carolina — at a warehouse, farm, recycling yard, retail store, or truck stop — here is who regulates it, what the law requires, and exactly who to contact.

Who inspects commercial scales in South Carolina?

State model: 22 SCDA Consumer Services inspectors check every gas pump in the state annually and inspect 20,000+ commercial scales; there is no county inspection system. Owners contact SCDA Consumer Services in Columbia.

What South Carolina requires of scale owners

SC publishes no device registration for owners; devices are inspected by state inspectors, and new or repaired devices must be placed into service by an SCDA-registered pump/scale repair-person (registration $25 per person per year, with test standards calibrated by the state lab every two years, using the Placed In Service Form). Public weighmasters must be licensed under the Public Weighmaster Law.

Devices used to buy or sell by weight must comply with NIST Handbook 44 — in practice this means an NTEP-certified, legal-for-trade scale. Confirm requirements for your device class with the office listed here.

Getting a scale into service — 4 steps

  1. Buy a legal-for-trade (NTEP-certified) scale appropriate for your application and capacity.
  2. Confirm registration and licensing requirements with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture ((803) 737-9700 (Consumer Services); (803) 253-4052 (Metrology Lab); (803) 734-2210 (SCDA main)) before the scale enters commercial use.
  3. Arrange compliant installation and calibration. Where required, placing-in-service must be done by a licensed or registered service company.
  4. Stay compliant. Pass required inspections, keep calibration current, retain service records.

Common questions

Who certifies commercial scales in South Carolina?
State model: 22 SCDA Consumer Services inspectors check every gas pump in the state annually and inspect 20,000+ commercial scales; there is no county inspection system. Owners contact SCDA Consumer Services in Columbia.
What does South Carolina require of scale owners?
SC publishes no device registration for owners; devices are inspected by state inspectors, and new or repaired devices must be placed into service by an SCDA-registered pump/scale repair-person (registration $25 per person per year, with test standards calibrated by the state lab every two years, using the Placed In Service Form). Public weighmasters must be licensed under the Public Weighmaster Law.
What is NTEP certification?
NTEP certifies that a scale model meets NIST Handbook 44 standards for commercial use. An NTEP Certificate of Conformance is the standard requirement for legal-for-trade devices across the U.S.
Where do I find official forms and fees?
Use the licensing and forms links in the office panel, or contact the office directly — fee schedules change and some are published only in application documents.

Need calibration, repair, or installation in South Carolina?

Send one request — ScaleRegistry routes it to qualified service providers for your state.

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Sources: agriculture.sc.gov/permits-and-inspections/gas-pumps… | agriculture.sc.gov/inside-scda/contact/ | agriculture.sc.gov/permits-and-inspections/metrology/