Fifth Schedule 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.
Since October 2025 a Government Approved Test Centre charges verification and re-verification fees as set out in the Fifth Schedule, which has 23 items. Rule 7(1) points to the Schedule, and rule 7(2) says what happens to a rejected item. This article reproduces the fees as printed.
These rules are as amended up to the Government Approved Test Centre Second Amendment Rules, 2026 (17 June 2026); later amendments and current fees should be checked on the Department of Consumer Affairs website. For help on which fee applies to your instruments, see a legal consultation.
Rule 7(1), as substituted by the Amendment Rules, 2025 (G.S.R. 779(E)), says the fee payable to a test centre for verification or re-verification is as specified in the Fifth Schedule; for items not specified there, the Legal Metrology (Enforcement) Rules of the State apply. The Schedule was inserted in 2025 with items 1 to 18, and items 19 to 23 (the fuel and gas dispensers, fee per nozzle) were added on 8 May 2026. A rejected item pays the fee afresh when it is resubmitted after repair.
Rule 7: the two sub-rules
Rule 7(1): the fee
Before 2025, rule 7(1) said that the fee for verification or re-verification was the same as specified in the Legal Metrology (Enforcement) Rules of the State where the test centre is situated. Rule 7(1), as substituted in 2025, now says the fee is as specified in the Fifth Schedule. The proviso keeps the State route for items not specified in the Fifth Schedule: the State's Legal Metrology (Enforcement) Rules apply where the test centre verifies the instrument.
For the general scale of fees and regional languages in the General Rules, read our post on rules 25 and 26 of the General Rules.
Rule 7(2): rejected items
Any weight or measure rejected on verification is returned to the user for necessary repair. After repair it may be accepted for verification on payment of the verification fee afresh. The duties of the centre on return and certificates are in our article on rules 6 to 12.
The Fifth Schedule: fees as printed
Amounts are copied exactly as printed in the Schedule (as inserted by G.S.R. 779(E), 23 October 2025, items 1 to 18, and extended by G.S.R. 346(E), 8 May 2026, items 19 to 23). No total or conversion is given.
| Serial number | Item | Verification fee as printed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water meter | (i) Rs. 250.00 for domestic water meter; (ii) Rs. 1000.00 for commercial water meters; (iii) Rs. 2500.00 for industrial water meters |
| 2 | Sphygmomanometer | Rs. 100.00 per sphygmomanometer |
| 3 | Clinical thermometer | Rs. 50.00 per clinical thermometer |
| 4 | Automatic rail weighbridges | As per State Government fees |
| 5 | Tape measures | (i) Class I: Rs. 2.00 per meter or part thereof; (ii) Class II: Rs. 1.00 per meter or part thereof; (iii) Class III: Rs. 0.50 per meter or part thereof |
| 6 | Non-automatic weighing instruments of Accuracy Class III (up to 150 kg) | (i) Rs. 2000.00 up to 10 kg; (ii) Rs. 3000.00 above 10 kg and up to 150 kg |
| 7 | Non-automatic weighing instruments of Accuracy Class IIII | (i) Rs. 2000.00 up to 10 kg; (ii) Rs. 3000.00 above 10 kg and up to 150 kg |
| 8 | Load cell | (i) Rs. 2000.00 up to 5 kN; (ii) Rs. 5,000.00 above 5 kN and up to 100 kN |
| 9 | Beam scale | (i) Rs. 500.00 up to 5 kg; (ii) Rs. 1000.00 above 5 kg |
| 10 | Counter machine | (i) Rs. 500.00 up to 5 kg; (ii) Rs. 1000.00 above 5 kg |
| 11 | Weights of all category | See the breakdown below |
| 12 | Gas meters | (i) Domestic: Rs. 500.00; (ii) Commercial: Rs. 2000.00; (iii) Industrial Rs. 5000.00 |
| 13 | Energy meters | (i) Domestic: Rs. 1000.00; (ii) Commercial: Rs. 3000.00; (iii) Industrial Rs. 5000.00 |
| 14 | Moisture meters | Rs. 2500 |
| 15 | Speed meters for vehicles | Rs. 15,000 |
| 16 | Breath analysers | Rs. 2500 |
| 17 | Multi-dimensional measuring instruments | Rs. 3600 |
| 18 | Flow meters | (i) Up to 100 mm: Rs. 5000.00; (ii) Above 100 mm: Rs. 5000.00 + Rs. 1000.00 for every 25 mm |
| 19 | Petrol or diesel dispenser | Rs. 5,000.00 each nozzle |
| 20 | CNG dispenser | Rs. 10,000.00 each nozzle |
| 21 | LPG dispenser | Rs. 10,000.00 each nozzle |
| 22 | LNG dispenser | Rs. 10,000.00 each nozzle |
| 23 | Hydrogen dispenser | Rs. 10,000.00 each nozzle |
Serial number 11: weights of all category
- (i) Fees for E1 Class: (A) 1 mg to 200 g (22 pieces including rider): Rs. 15,000; (B) assorted weights (per weight): (a) Rs. 1,000 up to 10 kg; (b) Rs. 2,000 above 10 kg up to 50 kg.
- (ii) Fees for E2 class weights will be one half the fees specified for E1 class weights.
- (iii) Fees for F1 class weights will be one fourth the fees specified for E1 class weights.
- (iv) Fees for F2 class weights will be one eighth the fees specified for E1 class weights.
- (v) Bullion weights: (A) 1 g to 500 g: Rs. 25 per weight; (B) above 500 g to 10 kg: Rs. 50 per weight.
- (vi) Carat weights: Rs. 50 per weight.
- (vii) Cylindrical knob type weight: (A) 1 g to 500 g: Rs. 10 per weight; (B) above 500 g to 10 kg: Rs. 25 per weight.
- (viii) Sheet metal weight (other than bullion): 1 mg to 500 mg: Rs. 25 per weight.
- (ix) Iron hexagonal, knob type weights and parallelepiped weight: (A) 1 g to 500 g: Rs. 10 per weight; (B) above 500 g to 10 kg: Rs. 25 per weight; (C) above 10 kg to 50 kg: Rs. 50 per weight.
- (x) Higher denomination weights: (A) above 50 kg to 1000 kg: Rs. 1000; (B) above 1000 kg to 5000 kg: Rs. 1500.
How the 2025 and 2026 changes fit
- 2013 to October 2025. The fee was whatever the Legal Metrology (Enforcement) Rules of the State where the centre is situated specified.
- 23 October 2025. The Fifth Schedule came in with 18 items.
- 8 May 2026. Items 19 to 23 were added for petrol or diesel, CNG, LPG, LNG and hydrogen dispensers, charged per nozzle. The same amendment added these dispensers to the First Schedule; see our article on rules 1 to 4.
Which fee applies: a short guide
- Find your instrument in the First Schedule and the matching serial number in the Fifth Schedule.
- Read the basis in the column: per instrument, per weight, per nozzle, per meter or part thereof, or per size band.
- If the item is not in the Fifth Schedule, the State's Enforcement Rules apply.
- For automatic rail weighbridges the Schedule says "As per State Government fees".
- If an item fails and comes back after repair, the fee is paid again.
A practical example
Highway Fuel Retail runs a petrol pump with six nozzles on its dispensers and wants them verified at an approved test centre. The Fifth Schedule's serial number 19 charges Rs. 5,000.00 each nozzle for a petrol or diesel dispenser, so the fee is counted per nozzle, not per dispenser. Separately, if the same pump site has a CNG dispenser, serial number 20 applies at its own per-nozzle rate. The Schedule gives no total; the owner multiplies the printed rate by the number of nozzles being verified. If one nozzle is rejected, repaired and resubmitted, the printed fee is payable again for that nozzle.
Common lapses
- Using the old State fee table for items now in the Fifth Schedule.
- Applying a per-instrument rate to dispensers instead of the per-nozzle rate.
- Forgetting the size band (for example, up to 10 kg or above 10 kg) in weighing instruments.
- Not budgeting for re-verification after rejection.
For the Act's provision on test centres see section 24.
Need help with verification fees?
If you operate many instruments, such as dispensers or meters, and need to plan verification, we can map each to the right fee entry. Start with a legal consultation.
Key takeaways
- Verification and re-verification fees are as in the Fifth Schedule (rule 7(1), 2025).
- Items not listed fall under the State's Legal Metrology (Enforcement) Rules.
- Items 19 to 23 for fuel and gas dispensers are charged per nozzle (May 2026).
- Automatic rail weighbridges are "As per State Government fees".
- A rejected item pays the fee afresh after repair.
- Check the Department's website for any later change in amounts.
Read next
- Rules 6–12: duties, verification mark, records and place of verification
- Rules 1–4: what a test centre is and what it may verify
- Rules 25 and 26 of the General Rules: scale of fee
Disclaimer: Based on the Legal Metrology (Approval of Models) Rules, 2011 (as amended in 2019), the Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre) Rules, 2013 (as amended up to 17 June 2026), the Legal Metrology (National Standards) Rules, 2011 (as amended in 2019), the Legal Metrology (Numeration) Rules, 2011 and the Indian Institute of Legal Metrology Rules, 2011, as published in the Gazette of India and consulted on 4 October 2026. Later amendments, current fees and the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 provisions referred to should be checked on the Department of Consumer Affairs website. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.