Sections 19 and 20 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.
Sections 19 and 20 control the entry of weights and measures into India. Section 19 says that nobody may import a weight or measure unless registered with the Director, and section 20 says that no weight or measure, even one built into a machine, may be imported unless it conforms to the standards under the Act. Neither section is amended by the Jan Vishwas Acts, but the penalty sections that enforce them (38 and 39) are.
Section 19: no person may import any weight or measure unless registered with the Director, in the prescribed manner and on payment of the prescribed fee. Section 20: no weight or measure, singly or as a part or component of any machine, may be imported unless it conforms to the standards established by or under the Act. Rule 15 of the General Rules, 2011 sets the application route, a five-year validity and renewal. Breach is punishable under sections 38 and 39.
Section 19: registration with the Director
Section 19 reads: "No person shall import any weight or measure unless he is registered with the Director in such manner and on payment of such fees, as may be prescribed." Three features:
- The registering authority is the Director of Legal Metrology (see our article on section 13), not the State Controller.
- "Weight or measure" includes a weighing or measuring instrument (section 2(w)), so an importer of electronic weighing scales or fuel dispensers is covered.
- The manner and fee are left to rules. Section 52(2)(k) lists "the manner and registration and the fee under section 19" among the Central rule-making matters.
"Import" means bringing into India from a place outside India (section 2(e)).
Rule 15 of the General Rules, 2011
Chapter V of the General Rules, headed "Import of weights and measures", implements section 19. As read from the source (a two-column scan; it is legible for this rule):
| Sub-rule | Content |
|---|---|
| 15(1) | A manufacturer or dealer of a weight or measure who intends to import must apply to the Director, through the Controller of the State where he carries on business, for registration of his name as importer, in the form in the Tenth Schedule |
| 15(2) | The Controller forwards every application to the Director with a report on the antecedents and technical capabilities of the applicant |
| 15(3) | A person already importing at the commencement of the rules may carry on until the Director informs him in writing that he cannot be registered, and must then stop importing forthwith; the proviso says registration of such a person is not refused without a reasonable opportunity to show cause |
| 15(4) | The application goes to the Director with the fee in the Twelfth Schedule, at least one month before the date on which import is proposed |
| 15(5) | Registration remains effective for five years from the date of registration |
| 15(6) | On expiry the Director may, on application and payment of the prescribed fee, renew for a like period |
| 15(7) | Registration or renewal may be suspended or revoked before expiry if, after an inquiry and a reasonable opportunity of being heard, the Director is satisfied that a statement in the application was false or incorrect in a material particular, or that the person contravened the Act, the rules or a term or condition of registration |
The amount of the fee sits in the Twelfth Schedule; this article does not quote it because the Schedule scan is not reliably legible for that entry. Check the current fee table before applying.
Who may apply? Rule 15(1) speaks of a manufacturer or dealer of weights or measures. Section 2(b) includes an importer within "dealer". Our existing guides, importer registration under Legal Metrology and how to register as an importer, give the practical walkthrough. Our legal metrology importer registration service assists with the application.
Do not confuse with Packaged Commodities registration
Rule 27 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011 is a different registration. It requires every person who pre-packs or imports any commodity for sale, distribution or delivery to register their name and address with the Director or Controller (fee Rs 500, within ninety days of commencing). That rule concerns packaged goods, whereas section 19 concerns importing weights and measures themselves. An importer of packaged food and an importer of weighing scales face different registrations. See our article on rule 27 in this series once published.
Section 20: non-standard weights and measures not to be imported
Section 20 reads: "No weight or measure, whether singly or as a part or component of any machine shall be imported unless it conforms to the standards of weight or measure established by or under this Act."
Two points stand out:
- Components count. A load cell or a measuring unit built into a larger machine is caught if it is a weight or measure. Importing the whole machine does not escape section 20.
- The test is conformity to the standards, which are set by the Act and the rules (for example the General Rules specify the physical characteristics, tolerances and maximum permissible errors in their Schedules). An instrument that conforms to a foreign standard but not to the Indian one is non-standard for this section.
Section 22 links in: a person must seek approval of the model before manufacturing or importing a weight or measure, and the second proviso lets the prescribed authority approve a model approved in a country outside India if it conforms to the standards. See our article on section 22.
Exports are treated differently. Section 11(2) and section 55(c) carve out goods for export (section 55(c) disapplies verification and stamping for weights and measures manufactured exclusively for export), but those carve-outs are not import exemptions.
Consequences of breach
| Breach | Section | Penalty as enacted in 2010 | 2026 Act (enacted; in force only from the notified date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Importing without registration | 38 | Fine up to Rs 25,000; second or subsequent offence, imprisonment up to six months, or fine, or both | First offence warned with an improvement notice; second offence penalty up to Rs 25,000; subsequent offences fine not less than Rs 2 lakh but up to Rs 5 lakh |
| Importing a non-standard weight or measure | 39 | Fine up to Rs 50,000; second or subsequent offence, imprisonment up to one year and also fine | First offence warned with an improvement notice; second offence penalty up to Rs 50,000; subsequent offences fine not less than Rs 2 lakh but up to Rs 5 lakh |
Neither section 38 nor 39 is touched by the 2023 Act. Both are compoundable under section 48. A full treatment is planned in our article on sections 38 and 39. The Act's text cites no separate customs provision; how customs treats a consignment is outside these sections.
Example 1. A dealer orders 200 electronic weighing machines from abroad but has never applied to the Director. Importing them breaches section 19, and section 38 applies to the import.
Example 2. An importer is registered, but a consignment contains indicators that do not meet the Indian tolerances. Section 20 bars the import, and section 39 punishes the import of a non-standard weight or measure.
Need help before you import?
If you plan to bring weighing scales, dispensers or similar instruments into India, the registration should be in hand before the order is placed. Our legal metrology importer registration team can review the application, the Controller's report stage and the approval of model needed for your product.
Key takeaways
- An importer of weights or measures must be registered with the Director before import (section 19).
- Rule 15 of the General Rules: apply through the State Controller in the Tenth Schedule form, at least one month before import; valid five years; renewable; suspension or revocation after an inquiry and a hearing.
- Section 20 bars importing any non-standard weight or measure, including one that is part of a machine.
- Breach is punishable under sections 38 and 39, both amended by the 2026 Act (not yet in force unless notified).
- Packaged-commodity importers also face the separate registration in rule 27 of the Packaged Commodities Rules.
Read next
- Section 18 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009: Declarations on pre-packaged commodities
- Section 21 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009: Indian Institute of Legal Metrology
- Section 22 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009: Approval of model
- Importer Registration Under Legal Metrology
Disclaimer: Based on the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (Act 1 of 2010) as enacted, read with 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); sections 19 and 20 are not amended by either Act, while sections 38 and 39 are amended by the 2026 Act. Also based on the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (as amended up to March 2022), as on 30 September 2026. State Legal Metrology rules, later amendments and notifications change; verify the current position before acting.