The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
(DATCP) Bureau of Weights and Measures has an essential role in protecting the fairness of
commercial transactions in the state. In 2023, Weights and Measures staff conducted 226,832
inspections at 5,595 business locations statewide to monitor the accuracy of motor vehicle fuel
pumps, commercial scales, price scanners, milk tanks, package weights, and other measuring
instruments.
DATCP operates the Wisconsin Weights and Measures Laboratory, a facility which conducts
testing and calibration services for Wisconsin and several neighboring states. The laboratory
also maintains the state’s standards of mass and volume, which are physical objects that all
other standards serviced by DATCP are measured against. Physical standards and
measurement devices undergo natural changes over time which can cause slight inaccuracies,
so they must be tested and adjusted regularly to ensure they match international specifications.
When DATCP inspectors identify inaccurate measurements or prices, they issue orders to the
retailer to correct the error(s).
In 2023, DATCP issued 4,648 orders related to inaccurate measurements and prices and
conducted 870 re-inspections to verify that the corrections were made. In some cases, DATCP
also takes higher-level enforcement actions, resulting in outcomes such as its November 2023
settlement with Dollar General Corporation for over $850,000 after a statewide inspection
effort resulted in 662 alleged violations of price accuracy laws.
Every year, Weights and Measures Week is observed nationwide on March 1–7 to mark the
signing of the first U.S. weights and measures law by President John Adams on March 2, 1799.
Media are invited to schedule a ride-along for a weights and measures inspection to record
footage, observe the process, and ask questions by contacting public information officer Caleb
Kulich. For additional information or to file a weights and measures complaint, visit
datcp.wi.gov, call (608) 224-4942 or email DATCPWeightsAndMeasures@wisconsin.gov.
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