U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE

FEDERAL GRAIN INSPECTION SERVICE

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL TO OPERATE AS A 

WEIGHING FACILITY

FORM APPROVED OMB NO. 0581-0309

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not 

conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection 

of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid 

OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0309. The time 

required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 

44 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 

searching for existing data sources, gathering and maintaining sources, 

gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing 

the collection of information. This application form must be completed and approved before operating as a 

weighing facility (7U.S.C.7A (f).) See reverse for additional information required.

1. NAME OF FACILITY (Where The Weighing Equipment Is Located):

ADDRESS (Street, City, State, and Zip Code):

OWNER OF FACILITY

2. NAME:

ADDRESS (Street, City, State, and Zip Code):

OPERATOR OF FACILITY

3. Contact Person Telephone Number Email

4. The following named persons are employed at this facility as weighers. Each individual has demonstrated the technical ability to

operate grain weighing equipment and has a reputation for honesty and integrity (fill-out additional forms if necessary).

5. NAME AND SIGNATURE OF OPERATOR AND DATE

FORM FGIS-1001 (01/24) Previous editions are obsolete. Expires 03-25
Page ______of ______

SCALE SYSTEM TO BE USED OFFICIALLY (Fill out additional sheets for each scale system differing in design or use; answer questions 

6-13 only if this is for the initial test)

6. Type Scale

Railway Track

Vehicle Platform

Automatic Bulk Weighing System

7. Load-Receiving Element

Platform

Hopper

8. Load-Sensing

Full-electronic (2 or more load cells)

Lever-tronic (1 load cell)

Mechanical

9. Type of Movement (may check more than one)

Inbound

Outbound

Export

10. WEIGHING ELEMENT MANUFACTURER (Scale): MODEL:

11. CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE NUMBER:

12. DIGITAL WEIGHT INDICATOR MANUFACTURER: MODEL:

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE NUMBER:

13. LOAD CELL MANUFACTURER: MODEL:

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE NUMBER:

COMMENTS:

Form FGIS-1001 (Reverse)

RESET

RESET

RESET

RESET
FGIS-1001

“APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL TO OPERATE AS A WEIGHING FACILITY”

The U.S. Grain Standards Act and regulations require facilities to submit information showing that the 

weighing facility and the elevator personnel operating weighing equipment at that facility meet the 

conditions necessary to have official weighing. Facilities are required to provide this information when 

service is first established, and when operating personnel change (or at least annually if personnel 

change). Operators fill out the Form FGIS-1001, “Application For Approval To Operate As A Weighing 

Facility”, to document that their weighing facility complies with these conditions.

Questions 1-5 pertain to facility’s location, operation, and ownership and lists weighers who the 

operator has trained adequately and will see that they use scales as directed by official personnel. 

Questions 6-14 have to do with the scales’ use, design, and component specifications. Assistance 

may be required of the person(s) or company who installs or maintains the scale to answer some of 

these questions.

Instructions for Completing FGIS-1001

1. Name of the facility, mailing and street address for the facility’s physical location.

2. Owner’s name and address.

3. Name of person to contact in case additional clarification needed about the information

submitted.

4. Names of persons employed at the facility that operate the facility’s scales as weighers.

By listing employees here, the facility is stating that these individuals can demonstrate a

technical ability to operate grain weighing equipment and have a reputation for honesty

and integrity. If the facility’s personnel fluctuates because personnel are hired from

employment pools, such as longshore personnel, the individuals who directly supervise

these individuals (facility) or “key” longshore personnel can be listed. These blanks do

not require the signature of the individual.

5. Operator’s signature with date (usually the plant superintendent or manager). The

person who controls or is accountable for the weighers’ employment, training, or

oversight.

6. Type scale - check the box adjacent signifying whether the scale is a railway track,

vehicle platform, or automatic bulk weighing system.

7. Load-receiving element - check “Platform” if the vehicle or railway track car carriers are

placed on the weighing element; check “hopper” if the weighing element is a tank or

hopper for an automatic bulk weighing system or hopper scale.

8. Load-Sensing - check full-electronic if an electronic scale with 2 or more load cells

which directly support the load-receiving element; check lever-tronic if a mechanical

scale that has a load cell inserted into a lever system; check mechanical if a scale which

operates purely on a lever system or has any other non-electrical balance system.
9. Inbound or outbound movements - grain unloaded or loaded respectively into or out

of carriers; outbound is also defined as grain leaving the facility where the grain is

weighed; export means grain exported or moved outside the boundaries of the United

States. More than one box may be checked.

10. Weighing Element Manufacturer - list the company name and model, including

certificate number manufacturing the scale part (the weighing element or the loadreceiving element is the portion of a scale that supports and transmits to the indicating

element the signal or force resulting from the load applied, also know as a hopper or

platform).

11. Certificate of Conformance (cc) - provide the device’s certificate number. A “cc” is a

document issued by the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM)

based on testing by a Participating Laboratory; said document constitutes evidence

of conformance of a type with the requirements of National Institute of Standards and

Technology Handbooks 44, 105-1, following State, and GIPSA weighing regulations.

See NCWM certificate and or “certificate database” at http://www.ncwm.net for that

number or if it came with documentation when equipment was purchased or was

provided by the scale installer. The weighing element, digital weight indicator, and load

cells each have separate certificate numbers.

12. Digital Weight Indicator Manufacturer - list the company name, model, and certificate

number that manufactured the weight display or indicating element mechanism. The

digital weight indicator is a system of indication or recording of the selector type or one

that advances intermittently in which all values are presented digitally, or in numbers.

In a digital indicating or recording element, or in digital representation, there are no

graduations. NCWM lists these device types as “Indicating Elements” in its certificate

databases.

13. Load Cell Manufacturer - a load cell, also known as “force transducer” is a device,

whether electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic, that produces a signal proportional to the load

applied. List the company name, model, and certificate number that has manufactured

the scale’s load cells.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Contact the field office responsible for the geographic area in which the service will be provided. 

Details for these locations can be found on the FGIS website. The signed form should also be mailed 

to this location.

For further information on the “Application For Approval To Operate As A Weighing Facility” contact:

Policies, Procedures, and Market Analysis Branch

FGISPoliciesProceduresMarketAnalysisBranch@usda.gov