What is NTEP and do i need it?

When searching for what scale to purchase for your application, two of the most popular terms you will find is “legal-for-trade” and “NTEP approved”. Generally, in the United States a legal for trade scale must be NTEP approved. 

In general, any person or business that buys, sells, or charges based upon weight within the United States must use a Legal-for-Trade scale

NTEP stands for National Type Evaluation Program, which is a non-profit corporation. Scales and other weighing equipment that are NTEP approved have been tested and evaluated to ensure they meet all government standards and requirements. The government standards are set by the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), and are listed in their NIST Handbook 44. Each NTEP approved scale will have an NTEP certificate or conformance number listed on it so that your local inspector can obtain a copy of the conformance certificate, and verify that the brand and model of your scale was manufactured within NIST standards.