Standards - Public Weighmaster
There have been circumstances or situations in which a scale owner/operator questioned whether or not a public weighmaster license and stamp were necessary for them. This prompted us to review the laws regarding public weighmasters in order to clarify who needs a license and stamp. The original laws were written in 1939 with the last changes occurring in 2009, so they may not always take into account today’s business practices and changes in technology.
The purpose of the public weighmaster is to assure a customer that any product that is weighed on a scale has an accurate weight and to issue a stamped certificate of weight, this is frequently referred to as a “certified weight”. That certified weight may then be used in the sale, purchase or exchange of the product. Many businesses, and government agencies, will only pay invoices or reimbursement claims that include a stamped certificate of weight.
The certificate of weight is a legal document. The weighmaster is responsible for the information on it.
Public Weighmaster License FAQs
Review your customers. If none of them need a “certified weight”, then you will not need a stamp and license. You may still provide a ticket, but without the weighmaster stamp we would consider that a receipt.
We have seen computer generated stamps that appeared exactly like the current stamp and requiring a signature, this is acceptable. We will still mail you the physical stamp, so you have a back-up.
A one-time electronic signature is acceptable. This may occur where the weighmaster is in one building and the weight ticket is printed somewhere else, such as a gatehouse. In this case, for each ticket, a signature is made on a device and then transmitted to the printer. What is not acceptable is a stored electronic signature that anyone would have access to; this is for the protection of the weighmaster!
No. This would be a violation of the law, NC General Statute § 81A-55 (b)(5).