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South Dakota Scale Certification & Weights and Measures

✓ Sources checked July 11, 2026; office details updated September 22, 2026

South Dakota 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 Dakota — 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 Dakota?

State-run: SD Department of Public Safety Weights and Measures inspectors test and seal all commercial weighing and measuring devices - gas pumps and retail scales every two years, heavy scales normally annually. New devices must be installed and placed in service by a state-registered service agency, then certified and sealed by a state inspector.

What South Dakota requires of scale owners

A business buying or selling by weight must use an NTEP 'Legal for Trade' device, have it installed/placed in service by a South Dakota-registered service agency, and have it sealed by the state before commercial use; state law prohibits transactions on a device not sealed by the Office of Weights and Measures within two years. The state charges inspection fees; firms that install/service/repair devices for pay must register annually with DPS.

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 Dakota Department of Public Safety at 605-773-3697 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

What is NTEP certification?
NTEP (the National Type Evaluation Program, administered by the National Council on Weights and Measures) evaluates a scale model's design against NIST Handbook 44 requirements and issues a Certificate of Conformance. Nearly every state requires an NTEP-certified device for commercial (legal-for-trade) weighing; confirm the rules for your device with the office listed on this page.
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 Dakota?

Browse companies listed as serving South Dakota in the ScaleRegistry directory and contact them directly, and check the official licensing and registration information for South Dakota. Listings are not ranked or endorsed, and ScaleRegistry does not route requests to any company.

Find companies in South Dakota
Sources: www.sd.gov/dps?id=dps_weights_measures | www.sd.gov/dps?id=cs_kb_articl…parm_article=KB0043762 | www.sd.gov/dps?id=cs_kb_articl…parm_article=KB0043753 | www.sd.gov/dps?id=cs_kb_articl…parm_article=KB0044232