Summary: The Department of Consumer Affairs, Legal Metrology Division, has clarified common queries regarding compliance under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 and the Legal Metrology Act, 2009. Key points include that declarations on footwear need only appear on the box or label, while unpackaged items require tags or stickers. Retail price can be declared using “₹” or “Rs.” Section 22 model approval applies only to weights and measures listed under the rules, excluding devices like feeler gauges, electronic calipers, and load cells. High-accuracy weighing machines must be verified at the place of installation, while R&D equipment may be exempt from stamping. Imported or industrial-use packaged goods have relaxed declaration requirements but must clearly indicate “Not for Retail Sale.” Other clarifications cover labeling font size, unit sale price, principal display panels, foreign manufacturer details, re-verification timelines, and permissible omission of MRP for institutional or evaluation packages, ensuring legal compliance and consumer protection.
Department of Consumer Affairs
Legal Metrology Division
Frequently Asked Questions
Question No. 1: Is it sufficient to include the required declarations under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, only on the footwear box or need to be declared on the footwear itself?
Answer: If all the declarations required under the rules are clearly provided on the footwear box or on the label affixed/ appearing on it, it is not necessary to declare the same on the footwear, separately as it is sold in the box only.
Question No. 2: Are declarations required for footwear items sold without a box?
Answer: In the absence of a box, the declarations may be made on the footwear using a tag or sticker or by other means in the interest of consumers.
Question No. 3: For declaring the retail sale price under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 whether the symbol of is mandatory or the words “Rs.” are also allowed?
Answer: The declaration of retail sale price under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 may be made either with the symbol “r or with the words “Rs.”.
Question No. 4: Whether Section 22 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 is applicable on Feeler Gauges.
Answer: Section 22 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 provides for approval of models of weights & measures and weighing & measuring instruments manufactured or imported in India. Section 22 is applicable for the Weights and Measures which are listed in the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011. The ‘Feeler Gauges’ are presently not covered under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011.
Question No. 5: Whether Section 22 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 is applicable on electronic calipers, mini vernier Gauge, dial depth gauge, digital calipers, bore gauge, digital indicators?
Reply: Section 22 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 provides for approval of models of weights & measures and weighing & measuring instruments manufactured or imported in India. Section 22 is applicable for the weights and measures which are listed in the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011. The ‘electronic calipers, mini vernier Gauge, dial depth gauge, digital calipers, bore gauge, digital indicators’ are presently not covered under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011. Therefore, approval of model under Section 22 of the LM Act, 2009 of these equipment is not required at present.
Question No. 6: Whether verification, stamping and sealing of weighing machines of very high accuracy classes is required before custom clearance or after installation at the place of use?
Reply: As per Section 24/ 33 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and Rule 27 of the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, the verification and stamping of weighing machines of very high accuracy classes is required to be done at the place of installation before putting into use.
Question No. 7: Whether Section 22 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 is applicable on Load Cells?
Reply: Section 22 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 provides for approval of models of weights & measures and weighing & measuring instruments manufactured or imported in India. Section 22 is applicable for the weights and measures which are listed in the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011. The ‘Load Cells’ are presently not covered under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, which may be added under these rules shortly. Therefore, approval of model under Section 22 of the LM Act, 2009 of these load cells is not required at present.
Question No. 8: The details of Model Approval Number, manufacturer, Max, Min capacity, ‘e’ value etc. are required to be declared on the weighing/ measuring machines at the time of manufacture or at the time of sale on the stamping plate?
Reply: It is advisable to declare the details of Model Approval Number, manufacturer, Max, Min capacity, ‘e’ value etc. on the weighing/ measuring machines at the time of manufacture but need to be ensured mandatorily before sale/ putting into use.
Question No. 9: How to import the weighing machine for which approval is not required in the country of manufacture, as per their special use for R&D or other purposes.
Reply: The import of very few weighing/ measuring instruments (not more than 5) for R&D purposes may be done. However, these machines cannot be sold/ put into use without complying all the requirements of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 or Rules made thereto. The information of such import need to be given in writing to the concerned Controller of Legal Metrology for needful.
Question No. 10: Whether the Packaged Commodities Rules (known as LMPC Rules) are applicable for the products imported for institutional & Industrial consumers (not for retail sale) including declaration of MRP, consumer care details etc.
Reply: As per Rule 3 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 the requirement of mandatory declarations on pre-packaged commodities meant for institutional & Industrial consumers is not required, but it should bear a declaration ‘not for retail sale’ on the package, before sale.
Question No. 11: Whether verification and stamping of weighing machines used for R&D is required?
Reply: As per Section 55 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 verification and stamping of weighing machines used for R&D purpose is not required.
Question No. 12: Whether the declaration of “Marketed by” with complete name and address of “Brand Owner” suffice the purpose of Rule 6(1)(a) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011?
Answer: Yes, the declaration of complete name and address of Brand Owner with the words “Marketed by”/ “Brand Owner”, as per Rule 10 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 suffice the purpose of Rule 6(1)(a).
Question No. 13: The outer carton normally known as shipper carton/ Transportation box with printed net weight/ gross weight/ dimensions of the carton with commodity inside with declarations required under the Packaged Commodities Rules of net quantity in units /pieces, etc. Whether the importer required to possess a weighing machine when the packaged commodity inside the outer carton/ shipper carton/ transportation box is not sold by weight or volume but in number.
Answer: The verified and stamped weighing machines are mandatory required for those sellers who sell the commodities in loose. Also, rule 18(7) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 provides that:
“18(7) All retailers who are covered under the Goods and Service Tax and dealing in packaged commodities whose net content declaration is by weight or volume or a combination thereof shall maintain a electronic weighing machine of at least accuracy class III, with smallest division of atleast 1 g, with facility to issue a printed receipt indicating among other things, the gross quantity, price and the like at a prominent place in their retail premises, free of cost, for the benefit of consumers and the consumers may check the weight of their packaged commodities purchased from the shop on such machine.”
Question No. 14: Whether the packaged Commodities Rules require any mandatory declaration on the outer carton normally known as shipper carton/ Transportation box.
Answer: It is in the interest of sellers/ wholesale dealers etc. to mention on the box that whether it is a ‘wholesale package’ or used only for “shipping/ Transportation” purposes for clarity.
Question No. 15: Whether the provisions of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 are applicable on Gas Meters.
Answer: The Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011 were amended vide GSR 242(E) dated 21st April, 2025 to include Gas Meters, which will come into force w.e.f. 1st September, 2025. Therefore, it is mandatory to comply all provisions of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 before 1st September, 2025.
Question No.16: Whether the manufacturer can declare the font size on packaged commodities, larger than what is mandated under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.
Answer: Yes, Rule 7 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 provides for the minimum requirement of height of any numeral and letter for declaration under these Rules and manufacturers/ packer/ importer may make declaration in larger font size than mandated under these rules.
Question No. 17: Whether all the declarations shall be declared on the Principal display panel itself at one place?
Answer: Rule 2(h) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodity) Rules, 2011 provides that:
“principal display panel”, in relation to a package, means the total surface area of the package where the information required under these rules are to be given in the following manner, namely:-
(i) all the information could be grouped together and given at one place; or
(ii) the pre-printed information could be grouped together and given in one place and on line information grouped together in other place;
Question No. 18: Whether declaration of Unit sale price is applicable for combination packages?
Answer: As per Rules 6(11) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodity) Rules, 2011 the declaration of unit sale price is not required to be declared for a combination package or a group package or a multi-piece package.
Question No. 19 Whether the declaration “1 N” or “1 U” allowed for the declaration of Net quantity of combination packages?
Answer: Yes. The declaration of “1 N” or “1 U” for declaring net quantity may be used apart from other declarations viz number, unit, set, piece, pair or such other words which represent the quantity in the package.
Question No. 20: Whether the verification of the weighing instrument used for domestic purpose mandatory?
Answer: The initial verification of all weighing and measuring instruments before sale/ putting into use is mandatory.
Question No. 21: Whether the declaration of name and address of the foreign manufacturer on the retail package of an imported product is mandatory?
Answer: As per Rule 6 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 it is mandatory to declare the name and address of the manufacturer/ packer/ importer. Therefore, declaration of name & address of the importer is sufficient compliance under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 for an imported product with declaration of Country of Origin.
Question No 22: Whether the weights or measure intended to be used for internal purposes by industries need re-verification:
Answer: Rule 27(2) of the Legal Metrology (General) Rules 2011 provides that:
“(2) The re-verification shall be carried out on the completion of a period of,-
(a) twenty four months for all weights, capacity measures, length measures, tape, beam scale and counter machine,
(b) sixty months for storage tanks, and
(c) twelve months for all weight or measure including tank lorry other than that mentioned in clauses (a) & (b)
Provided that such weights or measures which are used by the industries for their internal use and which do not affect the quantity delivered to the consumers or are not used in any transaction or for protection, shall not require such re-verification.”
Question 23. Whether the omission or obscuring (hiding/blackening/darkening) of MRP is permissible on product packs marked as “Not for Retail Sales—For Institutional Customers Only” and “Evaluation Samples—Not for Sale”? (E-19558)
Ans. As per Rule 3 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, institutional packages are exempted from the provisions of the Rules, including the declaration of MRP. Therefore, omission or obscuring of MRP on such packages is permissible, provided they are clearly and prominently marked as “Not for Retail Sales—For Institutional Customers Only”or “Evaluation Samples—Not for Sale”and are not intended for retail sale.
