The Weights & Measures Act (225 ILCS 470) requires all weights and measures commercially used in determining the weight, measurement, or count of commodities or things sold or offered or exposed for sale on the basis of weight, measure, or count to be inspected and tested annually. In addition, Article 109.01 Measurement of Quantities in the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) Standard Specification for Road & Bridge Construction requires all measurements for weight shall be from scales meeting the requirements of the Weights and Measures Act of the State of Illinois. Therefore, all asphalt plants must have their scales inspected annually to comply with these requirements.

This annual certification/inspection is usually performed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s (IDOA) Bureau of Weights & Measures division. Currently, the IDOA is fully operational. However, it has vacancies for inspectors for large scales in certain areas of the state. IDOA will not be able to perform annual inspections in areas with these vacancies. IDOA will get to inspections in covered areas as quickly as reasonably possible.

The Weights & Measures Act allows scales inspected by companies or individuals licensed under the Registered Serviceperson Program for Scales to be used for commercial purposes until IDOA is able to perform the annual certification. Therefore, if IAPA members' scales are located within an area with a vacancy, you will need to use the Registered Serviceperson Program for Scales to comply with this requirement. Any provider listed with a "B" subcode is registered to test large scales with capacities of 2001 pounds and over. The scales will receive a Service Person Decal (see below for example) issued to registered service companies by the Bureau of Weights and Measures. In addition, the registered service company will fill out a Placed in Service Report. Copies of this report are provided to the scale owner, IDOA, and retained by the registered service company.

If your scales are located within an area with an inspector, IAPA members should continue to coordinate with the IDOA and the appropriate inspector. Members are encouraged to provide as much notice as possible to help the inspectors coordinate with all entities that need the inspection. Once the inspection is complete a State Certified Decal (see below for example) will be provided.
For specific questions on the Weights & Measure Act or scale inspections, contact Lenny Goebel, IDOA Bureau of Weight & Measures, at 217.836.4027 or contact your IDOA Large Scale Area Inspector.