Rules 16 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
India's metric standards bind local trade, but the rules make room for an exporter whose buyer abroad wants weights or measures in another system. Rules 16, 17 and 18 set the terms: prior permission from the Central Government, no sale inside India, and a monthly record. If you export weights or measures, an IEC registration for exporting is a separate matter from this permission, and we can help with both.
No non-standard weight or measure may be made unless the maker has the Central Government's previous permission (rule 16(2)). The application carries a fee stated in the text as rupees five hundred and must show the applicant's details, the factory, the goods and evidence of an export contract or likely demand (16(3)). Permission lasts one year, is renewable on a like fee, and can be cancelled after a show-cause opportunity (16(4), (5)). Export-only goods may not be sold in India (rule 17). The maker must keep a monthly record open to inspection (rule 18).
What "non-standard" means here
Rule 16 uses "non-standard weight or measure" without defining it. Rule 21, in the same Rules, gives an Explanation for its own purposes: a non-standard weight or measure is one made, or proposed to be made, in accordance with any unit of weight or measure other than the standard unit specified by or under the Act. That is the sense in which the export rules operate. The Act's standard units are in sections 7 and 8. Using a non-standard weight at home is an offence under section 25, which is why export-only manufacture needs its own exception.
Rule 16: conditions for manufacture exclusively for export
Scope (16(1)). The rule applies to weights or measures "made or manufactured exclusively for the purpose of export".
Previous permission (16(2)). "No non-standard weight or measure shall be made or manufactured by any person unless he has obtained the previous permission from the Central Government."
Application and fee (16(3)). A person intending to manufacture non-standard weights or measures for export applies to the Central Government "on payment of a fee of rupees five hundred" and indicates:
- (a) his name and full address;
- (b) the location of the factory where the goods will be made;
- (c) a description of the weight or measure;
- (d) documentary or other evidence of a firm contract for the export or, if there is no firm contract, evidence that there is likely to be a demand for the export.
The rule names no form. It says nothing about the office within the Central Government that receives the application; check the current notification.
Grant and cancellation (16(4)). If satisfied from the evidence or otherwise that the applicant intends to manufacture for export, the Central Government "shall" grant permission. It may cancel permission if satisfied that the applicant:
- has contravened the terms and conditions of the permission, or
- has let weights or measures made by him find their way into the Indian market, or
- made a statement in the application that is false in material particulars, or
- concealed material particulars.
The second proviso bars cancellation "except after giving to the applicant a reasonable opportunity of showing cause".
Validity and renewal (16(5)). Permission "shall remain valid for a period of one year" and "shall be renewed for a like period on payment of a like fee" unless the Central Government is satisfied of a false or concealed statement or of contravention of the Act or rules. A refusal to renew needs a reasonable opportunity to show cause first.
Annual return (16(6)). Every permission-holder must submit to the Central Government "at the end of the calendar year" a statement of the quantity of non-standard weights and measures exported and the particulars of the person to whom they were exported.
| Item | Rule | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Permission | 16(2) | Previous permission of the Central Government |
| Fee | 16(3) | Rupees five hundred, per the text |
| Validity | 16(5) | One year; renewal for a like period on a like fee |
| Cancellation | 16(4) provisos | Only after a reasonable opportunity to show cause |
| Annual statement | 16(6) | End of calendar year; quantity exported and buyer particulars |
Rule 17: no sale inside India
"No non-standard weight or measure made or manufactured exclusively for export shall be sold or otherwise distributed within the territory of India." The words "otherwise distributed" go beyond sale: giving away or circulating the goods locally is also barred. Rule 16(4) makes leakage into the Indian market a ground for cancelling the permission, and the goods themselves would be non-standard in a local transaction, with consequences under section 25 and section 27. Those sections were amended by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (in force); the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 is enacted but in force only from the date the Central Government notifies.
Rule 18: monthly record
Every person who makes non-standard weights or measures for export "shall maintain a monthly record" of:
- the number of such goods manufactured by him;
- the number already exported by him; and
- the number in stock or under production.
The record "shall be open to inspection by any officer authorised by the Central Government in this behalf." Note that the inspection officer here is one authorised by the Central Government. The Act's separate duty to keep prescribed records and registers is in section 17, and the inspection powers of officers are in section 15.
Sample checking for export
If the foreign buyer wants a check, rules 19 and 20 provide for sample checking by an agency the Central Government specifies. See our article on rules 19 and 20.
Examples
Example 1: a firm contract. A maker in Gujarat has a firm order from an overseas buyer for weights in a non-metric unit. She applies to the Central Government with the contract as the rule 16(3)(d) evidence, describes the goods and the factory, and pays the stated fee. Until permission is granted, she may not make the goods.
Example 2: stock in the warehouse. The same maker finds a surplus of export-only weights. Rule 17 bars local sale or distribution, and selling them would put the permission at risk under rule 16(4). She also has to show the surplus in her monthly stock record under rule 18.
Common mistakes
- Starting manufacture before permission arrives.
- Forgetting the year-end statement under rule 16(6).
- Treating surplus export stock as saleable at home.
- Keeping no monthly record.
Need help with export permissions and records?
If you want to make weights or measures for export, or you need to organise the record-keeping and export registrations around it, our IEC registration team can go through the steps with you.
Key takeaways
- Making non-standard weights or measures, even for export, needs the Central Government's previous permission.
- The text states a fee of rupees five hundred; permission lasts one year and can be renewed.
- Cancellation needs a show-cause opportunity.
- Export-only goods may not be sold or distributed in India.
- A monthly record and a year-end statement are required.
Read next
- Rules 19 and 20 of the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011: Sample checking of export weights and measures
- Rule 21 of the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011: Non-standard weights for scientific research
- Prohibition of Non-Standard Weights and Measures
- Rule 15 of the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011: Registration of importer and the Tenth Schedule
Disclaimer: Based on the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011 (G.S.R. 11(E), 7 February 2011) as notified, using a scanned copy with gaps, read with the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (Act 1 of 2010), the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (in force) and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (in force only from the date the Central Government notifies), as on 30 September 2026. State Legal Metrology rules, later amendments and notifications change; verify the current position before acting.