Agricultural Marketing Service

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture

• The name, initials or identification 

number of the person who weighed 

the feed, or if required by State law, the 

signature of the weigher; 

• The city and state in which the scale is 

located, and, if a facility has more than 

one scale on which feed is weighed, the 

identity of the scale; 

• The zero balance; provided that when 

using a vehicle scale to weigh feed for 

more than one producer or grower on 

the same multi-compartment truck, 

the preceding producer’s or grower’s 

gross weight can be used for the next 

producer’s or grower’s tare weight without printing a zero balance, and repeated 

until the unit is full; 

• The date and time zero balance was 

determined; 

• The gross weight, tare weight, and net 

weight of each lot assigned to an individual producer or grower, if applicable; 

• The date and time gross weight and, if 

applicable, tare weight, are determined; 

• The identification of each lot assigned 

to an individual producer or grower by 

vehicle or trailer compartment number 

and seal number, if applicable; 

• Whether the driver was on or off the 

truck at the time of weighing, if applicable; and 

• The license number or other identification numbers on the truck and trailer, if 

weighed together, or trailer if only the 

trailer is weighed, if applicable. 

You may show additional information on the 

scale ticket, if desired, such as price paid, etc. 

However, you must show the information listed 

above to make a complete legal record.

Reweighing

Livestock owners or growers, buyers, or others 

having legitimate interest in a livestock draft 

are entitled to observe the scale balancing, 

weighing, and recording procedures on that 

draft. Weighers must not deny such persons that 

right. Nor should weighers withhold from these 

persons any information related to the weight 

of that draft. Weighers must check the zero 

balance of the scale or reweigh a livestock draft 

when requested by such persons.

You, and the weighers you employ or contract 

for weighing services, must comply with 

a request by any authorized PSD agent to 

reweigh livestock or livestock carcasses. We 

use reweigh results to determine if the weights 

recorded by the scale are accurate. False 

weighing is a criminal offense. We may initiate 

a legal enforcement action if we find incorrect 

weighing. 

What are the Penalties for Violations under 

the P&S Act?

As a registrant, packer, or swine contractor, you 

are subject to administrative cease and desist 

orders, civil penalties not more than $11,000 

for each violation of the P&S Act, and suspension of or prohibition from registration under 

the P&S Act. 

We may report any violation of the P&S Act by 

you to the Attorney General of the United States 

and request civil or criminal prosecution, as 

appropriate.

Any person convicted of the following criminal 

offenses against the United States, is subject 

to a fine of at least $1,000 and not more than 

$5,000, imprisonment of not more than three 

years, or both:

• Makes false entries in records or 

accounts;

• Neglects to make true; correct entries;

• Mutilates, alters, or falsifies any documentary evidence required to be kept;

• Refuses to allow inspection of records by 

authorized agents.

Weighers who willfully print or enter a false 

weight on a scale ticket or other record of 

a registrant, packer, or swine contractor are 

subject to the penalties under the P&S Act.

Contact info for PSD regional offices: 

www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/

programs-offices/fair-trade-practices/

packers-and-stockyards-contacts

Please direct comments or 

questions about this publication to: 

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

Fair Trade Practices Program

Packers and Stockyards Division

1400 Independence Avenue S.W. 

Washington DC 20250-3601 

Phone: 202-720-7051

Fax: 202-205-9237

Email: PSDWashingtonDC@ams.usda.gov

AMS Website: www.ams.usda.gov 

Toll-Free HOTLINE: 

1-833-DIAL PSD (1-833-342-5773)

 

This publication does not create or confer any rights for 

or on any person. Nor does it operate to bind the public. 

You can use an alternative approach, if the approach 

satisfies the requirements of the P&S Act and regulations. 

See 7 U.S.C. 182-183, 191-195, 201, 204, 205, 208-210, 

212-213, 215, and 221-223; and 9 CFR 201.49, 201.53, 

201.55, 201.71-201.73, 201.73-1, 201.76, 201.82, and 

201.99, which relate to the content in this publication. 

You may also want to see 9 CFR 203.4 and 203.12.

May 2018. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, 

employer and lender.

Responsibility 

for Accurate 

Scales and 

Livestock 

Weights

Packers & Stockyards Division
Why are Accurate Scales and 

Weights Important? 

When weights are used to determine payment, 

accurate scales, and honest weighing, protect 

the seller’s right to fair value, livestock. Using 

accurate scales and weights also guards the 

buyer’s right to equity. 

Who is Responsible for Accurate 

Scales and Weights? 

You must use accurate scales if you do business 

as (1) a stockyard, (2) market agency, (3) dealer 

(collectively “registrants”), (4) a packer, or (5) a 

swine contractor. Ensure that you determine 

and use accurate weights in the (1) purchase, 

(2) sale, (3) acquisition, (4) payment, or (5) 

settlement of livestock (cattle, sheep, swine, 

horses, mules, or goats). Record complete and 

accurate information about weights on the 

scale tickets and other documents issued for 

these transactions. 

Persons you employ or contract to perform 

weighing services (weighers) also have responsibility under the Packers and Stockyards Act 

(P&S Act) and regulations. 

Weighers must determine and record the true 

weight of livestock without prejudice or favor 

to any person. They must also do so without 

regard for livestock ownership, price, condition, 

fill, shrink, or other considerations. 

How Does the Packers and 

Stockyards Division Promote 

Accurate Weighing?

The Packers and Stockyards Division (PSD), part 

of the Fair Trade Practices Program within the 

Agricultural Marketing Service, enforces the 

P&S Act. PSD promotes accurate weighing in 

the livestock industry in the following ways:

Scale Installation and Maintenance

As a registrant, packer, or swine contractor, all 

scales you use for weighing livestock, livestock 

carcasses, or feed for purchase, sale, acquisition, 

payment, or settlement must be installed and 

maintained in accordance to National Institute 

of Standards and Technology (NIST) Handbook 

44, as incorporated by reference into the 

regulations.

Scale Testing

We require you to have a competent agency 

test such scales for accuracy at least twice 

during each calendar year—once between 

January 1 and June 30, and once between July 

1 and December 31. There must be a minimum 

of 120 days between the two tests. PSD may 

require more frequent testing in cases where 

the scale does not maintain accuracy between 

tests. With an exception: If you use the scale 

on a limited seasonal basis, you may use such 

scales within an 8-month period following 

each test. Scale tests must be forwarded to one 

of our PSD Regional Offices. You may not use 

any scale found to be inaccurate, according to 

accepted tolerances, until you have the scale 

repaired, retested, and it is deemed accurate.

Actual Weight

As a registrant, packer, or swine contractor, 

whenever you buy, sell, acquire, pay, or settle 

livestock transactions on a weight basis, you 

must base payment or settlement on the actual 

weight of the livestock shown on the scale 

ticket. Similarly, you must base payment or 

settlement on the actual weight of feed shown 

on the scale ticket, whenever the weight of 

feed is a factor in determining your payment 

or settlement to a livestock grower, or when 

the grower produces livestock under a growing 

arrangement. 

The weight of returned feed may be a reasonably determined weight, mutually acceptable 

to the regulated entity, and the livestock 

grower. If the actual weight measured is not 

included during the transfer of possession, you 

must disclose this information, along with the 

date and location site of the weighing, on the 

accountings, bills, or statements issued. If you 

adjust the actual weight, you must disclose 

this information, along with the reason for the 

adjustment(s), on the accountings, bills, or statements issued. 

Qualified Weighers

You must employ or contract qualified persons 

to operate scales for weighing livestock, livestock carcasses, or feed. 

Scales and Weighing Training

We provide instructions on testing scales and 

for weighing livestock. In cooperation with 

state weights and measures officials, we also 

provide live instruction and correct procedures 

to test scales and weigh livestock and feed. All 

weighers you employ or contract to provide 

weighing services must sign an acknowledgement indicating that they have received and 

read the instructions for weighing livestock 

issued under the P&S Act, and agree to follow 

the instructions. 

Care and Promptness in Weighing and 

Handling Livestock

You must exercise reasonable care and 

promptness in weighing or otherwise handling 

livestock to prevent waste of feed, shrinkage, 

injury, death or other avoidable loss. 

Scale Ticket Requirements for Livestock and 

Feed

You must keep all accounts, records, and 

memorandum necessary to disclose, fully and 

correctly, all transactions involved in the business, including the true ownership. 

The scale ticket is a legal document. Every 

record you issue in which weight is a factor of 

settlement depends on a complete and accurate scale ticket. In instances where the weight 

values are automatically recorded directly on 

the account of purchase, account of sale, or 

other basic transaction record, this record may 

serve in place of a scale ticket. Additionally, all 

accounts, records, and memorandum necessary 

to fully and correctly disclose all transactions involved must be kept as supporting 

documentation.

Each scale ticket for livestock must show: 

• Date of weighing; 

• Name of weighing agency; 

• Correct name of seller or consignor and 

buyer (or a designation by which they 

may be readily identified); 

• Number of head; 

• Kind of livestock; 

• Actual weight of livestock (this would be 

a hot carcass weight when livestock is 

purchased on a carcass weight or carcass 

grade and weight basis); and 

• Name or initials of weigher. 

Whenever feed is weighed and the weight of 

the feed is a factor in determining payment or 

settlement to a livestock producer, the scale 

ticket or other basic transaction record must 

show: 

• The name of the agency performing the 

weighing service, or the name and location of the firm responsible for supplying 

the feed; 

• The name and address of the livestock 

producer, or a designation by which they 

may be readily identified;