Does My Scale Need to Be Legal for Trade in Texas? (Free Checker)
Reviewed by MNM Scales technicians · Updated October 28, 2026
Short answer: In Texas, a scale must be legal for trade when its reading is used to buy, sell, barter or charge for something by weight. That scale must be placed in service by a licensed service company and registered with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) before you use it. TDA exempts pharmaceutical scales, US Postal Service scales and scales used only for taxable ready-to-eat food. Pick your use below to see what applies to you.
Texas legal for trade scale requirements depend on what the scale does, not on what it costs or where you bought it. This free checker asks four questions: what the scale is used for, its capacity, whether it has an NTEP certificate, and the accuracy class on its data plate. It then tells you whether TDA rules apply, which accuracy class NIST Handbook 44 lists as typical for that use, which TDA device type and service company license class fit your capacity, and the steps to take. Every answer is drawn from TDA’s own pages, the Texas Administrative Code (4 TAC Chapter 12), the Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 13 and NIST Handbook 44 (2026), with sources listed below. MNM Scales has sold and serviced scales for over 30 years and is one of the largest scale distributors, and our TDA-registered technicians place scales in service across the Houston area.
Texas Legal-for-Trade Scale Checker
Your result shows here.
General guidance from TDA, 4 TAC Chapter 12, Tex. Agric. Code Chapter 13 and NIST Handbook 44 (2026), not legal advice. For a ruling on your device, contact TDA Weights and Measures. Free tool by MNM Scales.
How the checker decides
Each result comes from one of the rules below. For the full registration walk-through and current fees, see our TDA scale registration guide. For the placed-in-service report, see RWM-780 explained.
| Question | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Is it a commercial use? | A commercial transaction is a purchase, sale, offer for sale, hire, award, barter or exchange of a commodity or service. A weighing device includes a scale used to compute the charge for a service. | 4 TAC 12.1; Tex. Agric. Code 13.001; RWM-780 form |
| Does it need TDA registration? | Commercial scales are registered with TDA before commercial use, and the registration is renewed every year. | 4 TAC 12.11; Tex. Agric. Code 13.1011; TDA Devices page |
| Is it exempt? | Exempt from registration: pharmaceutical scales, US Postal Service scales, belt conveyor scales, rail scales, and scales used exclusively to weigh taxable ready-to-eat food. | 4 TAC 12.13; Tex. Agric. Code 13.1002; TDA Devices page |
| Who places it in service? | A licensed service technician employed by a licensed service company installs and calibrates the scale, then the company files a service report with TDA within 10 days. | 4 TAC 12.42; TDA Devices page; TDA Licensed Service Company page |
| Which TDA device type? | Small Scale, 0 to 2,000 lb; Other Scale, more than 2,000 lb. | TDA Devices page |
| Which service company class? | Class 1, 300 lb or less; Class 2, up to 3,000 lb; Class 3, up to 40,000 lb; Class 4, more than 40,000 lb. | 4 TAC 12.40 |
| What else is required? | Post the certificate of registration where customers can see it, keep a consumer information sticker on or near each scale, and have hopper scales tested by a service company at least every four years. | TDA registration checklist; 4 TAC 12.14; TDA Devices page |
| Which accuracy class? | The typical class for the use in NIST Handbook 44 Table 7a; a higher class may be used. | NIST Handbook 44 (2026) 2.20, Table 7a; 4 TAC 12.10 |
Typical accuracy class by use (NIST Handbook 44 Table 7a)
TDA adopts NIST Handbook 44 as the Texas standard (4 TAC 12.10), and Handbook 44 requires a scale to be suitable for the service it is used in. Table 7a lists the typical class for each kind of weighing, and a scale with a higher class than the typical one may be used. The rows below are the uses this checker covers.
| Class | Typical weighing applications (excerpt) |
|---|---|
| I | Precision laboratory weighing |
| II | Laboratory weighing, precious metals and gem weighing, grain test scales |
| III | All commercial weighing not otherwise specified, retail precious metals and semi-precious gem weighing, grain-hopper scales, animal scales, postal scales, and scales used to determine laundry charges |
| III L | Livestock scales, crane scales, and hopper (other than grain hopper) scales |
Not sure what the class letters or e and d mean? Read what NTEP and legal for trade mean, then check how far a reading may stray with our scale tolerance calculator.
NTEP in Texas: what TDA actually says
Every commercial scale in Texas must meet NIST Handbook 44, which TDA adopts by rule, and must be suitable for its intended use; the licensed service company that places it in service has to confirm both. TDA’s own guide on legal-for-trade scales says the state does not require the certificate of conformity for every device, because some devices can be legal for trade before they have been through NTEP review. It adds that a device with a certificate meets the minimum requirements of Handbook 44. A scale without one has to meet Handbook 44 on its own, and a scale marked Not Legal for Trade cannot be used to buy or sell by weight. Neither legal for trade nor NTEP means a scale is ready to use straight out of the box: a licensed service company still has to install it. That is why we recommend an NTEP model. Not sure about your device? Ask us or TDA before you buy.
Legal-for-trade scales we recommend
- Delis, markets and food counters: OHAUS Valor 4000 V41XWE15T, 30 lb x 0.005 lb, NTEP, IPX8 washdown, or the A&D SK-5000WP, 11 lb x 0.005 lb, NTEP Class III, NSF.
- Gold, silver and jewelry: A&D FX-120iN, 122 g x 0.001 g, NTEP Class II, OHAUS SJX323N/E, 64 g x 0.001 g, NTEP Class II, or the OHAUS SJX1502N/E, 1,500 g x 0.01 g, NTEP Class II.
- Everything else: browse all NTEP legal-for-trade scales and NTEP gold and jewelry balances, or read our guides to shipping scales, floor scales and crane scales.
Get your scale placed in service
Our TDA-registered technicians install, calibrate and place scales of every class in service, then file the RWM-780 service report with TDA and help you with the RWM-700 registration. On-site service across the Houston area is $295 plus $2 per mile per visit, with calibration priced per scale; Dallas, Austin and San Antonio are quoted on request. For routine recalibration of smaller scales, mail-in calibration is usually finished 1 to 3 business days after we receive the scale, including scales bought elsewhere. Shop visits in Cypress are by appointment, and we rent scales while yours is being serviced.
Schedule placement in service Mail-in calibration Call (832) 290-3120
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas require an NTEP certified scale for trade?
Not for every device, but some scales do need one, so check yours. TDA says Texas does not require the certificate of conformity for every device, because some devices can be legal for trade before NTEP review. Every commercial scale must still meet NIST Handbook 44 and suit its use, and TDA notes that a device with a certificate meets the Handbook 44 minimums. We recommend an NTEP model; ask us or TDA whether your device needs one.
What counts as a commercial use of a scale in Texas?
Any purchase, sale, offer for sale, hire, award, barter or exchange of a commodity or service based on the weight shown (4 TAC 12.1). That includes pricing food at a counter, buying gold or scrap by weight, and charging for shipping or another service by weight.
Which scales are exempt from TDA registration?
TDA lists pharmaceutical scales, US Postal Service scales, belt conveyor scales, rail scales, and scales used exclusively to weigh taxable ready-to-eat food. If the same scale is also used for other sales by weight, the exemption does not apply.
Do I need to register a scale used only in my lab or warehouse?
No. If no one buys, sells or pays based on its reading, it is not a commercial device, and the RWM-780 service report is not required for non-commercial devices. Regular calibration still keeps your results reliable.
What accuracy class do I need to buy or sell gold and jewelry?
NIST Handbook 44 Table 7a lists Class II as typical for precious metals and gem weighing, and Class III for retail precious metals and semi-precious gem weighing. A Class II balance such as the A&D FX-120iN covers both.
Who can place a scale in service in Texas?
A licensed service technician employed by a TDA-licensed service company. The company installs and calibrates the scale and files the service report with TDA within 10 days. Our TDA-registered technicians handle this for scales of every class.
Is a restaurant or food bar scale exempt?
Yes, if it is used only to weigh taxable food sold ready for immediate consumption, whether or not it is eaten on site (Tex. Agric. Code 13.1002). A scale that also prices groceries or other food by weight must be registered.
Sources: Texas Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures Devices, Licensed Service Company, the TDA guide Legal for Trade Scales in the State of Texas and the TDA business registration checklist; Texas Administrative Code, Title 4, Part 1, Chapter 12 (sections 12.1, 12.10, 12.11, 12.13, 12.14, 12.40, 12.42); Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 13 (sections 13.001, 13.101, 13.1002, 13.1011); NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Section 2.20 Table 7a. General guidance, not legal advice; TDA has the final word on any device.