Section 14 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.
Section 14 is the State Government's counterpart of section 13. It lets each State appoint a Controller of Legal Metrology and a line of officers down to Inspectors to enforce the Act in relation to intra-State trade and commerce. The Controller is the officer most traders deal with: licences, verification orders, compounding and most local inspections run through the State office.
The State Government may appoint, by notification, a Controller, Additional Controller, Joint Controller, Deputy Controller, Assistant Controller, Inspector and other employees for intra-State trade and commerce (section 14(1)). Their qualifications are as prescribed (14(2)), their local limits are notified by the State Government (14(3)), and every legal metrology officer works under the general superintendence, direction and control of the Controller (14(4)). Section 14 is not amended by the Jan Vishwas Acts.
Sub-section (1): the State tier
The State Government may, by notification, appoint:
- a Controller of legal metrology,
- an Additional Controller,
- a Joint Controller,
- a Deputy Controller,
- an Assistant Controller,
- an Inspector, and
- other employees,
"for the State for exercising the powers and discharging the duties conferred or imposed on them by or under this Act in relation to intra State trade and commerce."
Section 2(a) defines "Controller" as the Controller of Legal Metrology appointed under section 14, and section 2(h) includes the Additional, Joint, Deputy and Assistant Controllers and Inspectors in "legal metrology officer". In a Union territory, "State Government" means the Administrator (section 2(q)).
Sub-sections (2) to (4): qualifications, limits and hierarchy
| Sub-section | Content |
|---|---|
| 14(2) | Qualifications of the Controller and legal metrology officers "shall be such as may be prescribed" |
| 14(3) | The Controller and every legal metrology officer exercise powers in respect of "such local limits as the State Government may, by notification, specify" |
| 14(4) | Every legal metrology officer under sub-section (1) acts under the general superintendence, direction and control of the Controller |
On qualifications, the rule-making power for the Controller and officers is section 52(2)(h). Rule 28 of the General Rules, 2011 sets qualifications for a Legal Metrology Officer, including a science, technology or engineering degree (or a recognised engineering diploma with three years' experience), ability to use the State's regional language, and completion of the basic course at the Indian Institute of Legal Metrology, Ranchi, with a power for the Central Government to relax the qualification for a State in consideration of practical difficulties. See our article on rule 28.
Local limits are notified State by State, so the territorial jurisdiction of a particular Inspector is a matter of the State notification, not of the Act. If an action is challenged on jurisdiction, the notification is the document to obtain. A legal consultation can help you frame that request.
Where the Controller appears elsewhere in the Act
Section 14 creates the office. The real work is spread across other sections:
| Provision | Controller's role |
|---|---|
| Section 15 | Controller may enter, search, inspect and seize, with the Director and legal metrology officers |
| Section 23(1), (2) | Licence to manufacture, repair or sell is issued by the Controller, in the prescribed form and manner and on the prescribed fee |
| Section 24(1) | Verification is done at the place and during the hours the Controller specifies by general or special order |
| Section 48(3) | Controller (or an officer he specially authorises) may compound specified offences |
| Section 49(2), (3) | A company's notice nominating a responsible director goes to the Director or the concerned Controller |
| Section 50(1)(d), (e) | Appeals lie to the Controller from officers appointed under section 14, and to the State Government from the Controller's own orders |
Each of these is explained in its own article, for example section 15, section 23, section 48 and section 49.
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 changes some of the provisions above, for example by adding an improvement notice power to section 15 and renaming the section 23 "licence" as a "registration certificate". It is enacted but comes into force only on the date the Central Government notifies; check the notification before treating those changes as law.
State rules sit on top
Section 53 lets State Governments make rules, after consultation with the Central Government, on matters such as the time to get a weight verified after seizure, registers and records, the form, conditions and fees of a licence, verification fees and the fee for compounding. The State rules are not in our sources, and they differ by State. Our existing guides on State enforcement in Haryana and Delhi and UP and Maharashtra are starting points, but confirm details against the State's own rules.
Examples
Example 1: a local verification order. A retailer in a State capital is told to bring weighing machines for verification at a notified place and time. Section 24(1) lets the Controller specify the place and hours by general or special order, and section 14(3) fixes the Controller's local limits.
Example 2: an Inspector's jurisdiction. An Inspector visits a godown outside the area notified for him. The notification under section 14(3) decides whether he acted within his local limits.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the Controller is a Central officer. The Controller is appointed by the State Government under section 14.
- Forgetting that section 14 covers only intra-State trade; inter-State matters fall to the Central officers under section 13.
- Relying on the Act for licence forms and fees. Those come from State rules under section 53 and differ by State.
Need help with a State Legal Metrology office?
If you need to apply to the Controller, answer an inspection or understand which office has jurisdiction over your premises, we can help you sort out the documents. Start with a legal consultation and tell us the State and the nature of the matter.
Key takeaways
- The State Government appoints the Controller and State legal metrology officers under section 14 for intra-State trade and commerce.
- Qualifications are prescribed; rule 28 of the General Rules applies to legal metrology officers.
- Officers act within local limits the State notifies and under the Controller's general superintendence, direction and control.
- The Controller issues licences, specifies verification places and hours, compounds certain offences and hears appeals from State officers.
- The 2026 Jan Vishwas changes to sections 15 and 23 are enacted but apply only from the date the Central Government notifies.
Read next
- Controller of Legal Metrology -- State Level Authority
- State Legal Metrology Enforcement Rules -- Haryana and Delhi
- Section 13 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009: Director and central officers
- Section 15 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009: Inspection, search and seizure
Disclaimer: Based on the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (Act 1 of 2010) as enacted, read with the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (neither amends section 14; the 2026 Act's changes to other sections noted above are in force only from the date the Central Government notifies), and the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, as on 30 September 2026. State Legal Metrology rules, later amendments and notifications change; verify the current position before acting.