General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 98 Weights and Measures
- Massachusetts General Laws - Definitions - Chapter 98, Section 1
In this chapter the following words, unless a different meaning is required by the context or is specifically prescribed, shall have the following meanings: “Deputy”,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Relation of avoirdupois pound to troy pound - Chapter 98, Section 2
The avoirdupois pound shall bear to the troy pound the relation of seven thousand to five thousand seven hundred and sixty. The hundredweight shall contain...
- Massachusetts General Laws - State standards - Chapter 98, Section 3
The following weighing and measuring devices now in the custody of the deputy director shall be the sole authorized standards, except as provided in sections...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Additional state standards; replacement of weights - Chapter 98, Section 4
The state standards shall also include all weighing and measuring devices received from the United States under the resolution of congress approved June fourteenth, eighteen...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Municipal standards - Chapter 98, Section 5
Towns shall keep the following standard weights, measures and balances: A set of avoirdupois weights consisting of fifty, twenty-five, twenty, ten, five, four, two and...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Safe keeping and preservation of town standards; insurance - Chapter 98, Section 6
In every town the sealer shall, at the expense of the town, provide therein accessible places for the safe and suitable keeping and preservation of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Neglect to provide suitable place for keeping standards; loss or damage - Chapter 98, Section 7
Every such sealer who neglects to provide a suitable place for keeping such standards, or to keep them in good order and repair, or who...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Vibrating steelyards - Chapter 98, Section 8
Vibrating steelyards may be used if each beam and the poises thereof are annually tried, proved and sealed by a sealer or deputy.
- Massachusetts General Laws - State clinical standard thermometer; certification - Chapter 98, Section 9
A clinical standard thermometer supplied by the commonwealth and certified by the national bureau of standards for use by the commonwealth, shall be the state...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Office clinical standard thermometers; verification; comparisons - Chapter 98, Section 10
The commonwealth shall also supply additional clinical standard thermometers necessary to carry out sections nine to fourteen, inclusive, to be known as office clinical standards....
- Massachusetts General Laws - Tolerances and specifications for clinical thermometers - Chapter 98, Section 11
The deputy director shall promulgate tolerances and specifications for clinical thermometers. A correct clinical thermometer shall be one conforming to the standard established as provided...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Inspection and testing of clinical thermometers; certification; fees - Chapter 98, Section 12
The deputy director may at any time inspect and test any clinical thermometer in the possession of any manufacturer or dealer in this commonwealth and...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Manufacture and sale of clinical thermometers - Chapter 98, Section 13
The deputy director shall prescribe rules and regulations governing the manufacture and sale of clinical thermometers and may require representative samples of any clinical thermometer...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Penalties for violation of Sec. 13 - Chapter 98, Section 14
Whoever, himself or by his servant or agent, or as the servant or agent of another person, keeps for the purpose of sale, offers or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Glass bottle or jars for lubricating oil; quality; capacity; sealing; revocation of authority; false or insufficient measure; inspection of bottles or jars - Chapter 98, Section 14A
Glass bottles or jars intended to be used in the sale of lubricating oil shall be made of clear, uncolored glass and shall be manufactured...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Glass bottles or jars for milk or cream; capacity; sealing; designating mark; false measure; revocation of authority - Chapter 98, Section 15
Glass bottles or jars used for the sale of milk or cream to the consumer shall be of the capacity of one gallon, a multiple...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Paper or fibre bottles and jars for milk; capacity; sealing; stamping - Chapter 98, Section 16
Paper or fibre bottles and jars used for the distribution of milk or cream to consumers, and holding, when filled to a level with the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Re-use of paper or fibre bottles or jars for milk - Chapter 98, Section 17
Whoever re-uses any such paper or fibre bottle or jar for distributing milk, cream or other liquid used for food after such bottle or jar...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Markings on cans or containers for milk; sealing; rules and regulations; revocation of authority; designating marks; false or insufficient measure; inspection - Chapter 98, Section 18
All cans or containers sold for use in the purchase or sale of milk or cream at wholesale shall have their capacity plainly, conspicuously and...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Penalties for violation of Sec. 18 - Chapter 98, Section 19
Whoever, by himself or by his servant or agent, or as the servantor agent of another person, sells any can or container to be used...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Containers for sale of ice cream; capacity; sealing; designating mark; false or insufficient measure - Chapter 98, Section 20
All cans, moulds or other containers used in the sale of ice cream or other frozen desserts and/or frozen dessert mix by measure shall be...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Semi-annual inspection of ice cream containers - Chapter 98, Section 21
Sealers shall inspect at least semiannually all cans, moulds or other containers sealed in accordance with the preceding section, and shall make a record of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Paper or fibre cartons for sale of viscous or semi-solid commodities; capacity; shape; dimensions; markings - Chapter 98, Section 22
Paper or fibre cartons which are used for the sale by measure of viscous or semi-solid commodities or mixtures of solids and liquids shall contain...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Testing capacity of containers; seizure; complaint; revocation of authority - Chapter 98, Section 23
A sealer or deputy of any city or town or the deputy director or an inspector may, if he so desires, and shall, upon complaint,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Penalty for unauthorized marking - Chapter 98, Section 24
Whoever violates any provision of sections twenty to twenty-three, inclusive, and whoever marks a container or other measure, or procures the same to be marked...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Condemnation of weighing or measuring devices; marking; removal of notice - Chapter 98, Section 25
All weighing or measuring devices which cannot be made to conform to the standard shall be stamped, marked or labelled “Condemned” or “CD” by the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Use or possession of false or condemned devices - Chapter 98, Section 26
Whoever uses, or has in possession with intent to use, a false or condemned weighing or measuring device for weighing or measuring any commodity bought,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Use of unsealed weighing or measuring devices - Chapter 98, Section 27
Whoever sells or, if by the custom of trade such weighing or measuring devices are provided by the buyer, buys, by any weighing or measuring...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Recovery of market value of goods for use of unsealed devices - Chapter 98, Section 28
A seller may recover the fair market value of goods, wares or merchandise sold, if they were, for the purpose of the sale, weighed or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Sealing and testing of meters for measuring liquefied petroleum gas; tolerances; revocation of authority - Chapter 98, Section 28A
Meters for measuring liquefied petroleum gas sold in the vapor state and household type liquid petroleum meters shall be sealed by the manufacturer thereof as...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Powers and duties of deputy director of standards - Chapter 98, Section 29
The deputy director shall enforce the laws relating to the use of weighing and measuring devices and the giving of false or insufficient weight or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Civil citation for violation of weights and measures laws; appeal - Chapter 98, Section 29A
As an alternative to initiating criminal proceedings for violations of the following weights and measures laws: section 115A of chapter 6; sections 92B, 96, 98,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1935, 60, Sec. 2 - Chapter 98, Section 30
Repealed, 1935, 60, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Use of seals; imitation or counterfeit seals - Chapter 98, Section 31
The deputy director and town and district sealers shall keep seals for their use. The seal of the deputy director shall bear the letters “C.M.”...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Tests, inspections and adjustments of town standards and devices; complaints; enforcement - Chapter 98, Section 32
Upon the request of a sealer, and at such other times as the deputy director deems necessary, said deputy director shall cause the standards of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Testing of weighing and measuring devices in state institutions; reports; appointment of special deputies - Chapter 98, Section 33
The deputy director or his inspectors under his direction, shall at least once in each year test all weighing and measuring devices used in checking...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Testing of weighing and measuring devices in towns of 5,000 or less inhabitants - Chapter 98, Section 33A
The deputy director or his inspectors, under his direction, shall at least once in each year test all weighing and measuring devices which are used...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Appointment of sealers and deputies in cities and large towns; powers and duties; interference with sealer; compensation; fees; certification - Chapter 98, Section 34
Subject to chapter thirty-one, the mayor of each city and the selectmen of each town of over 20,000 inhabitants shall appoint a sealer, and may...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Comprehensive weights and measures enforcement system in small towns; certification of sealers and deputies - Chapter 98, Section 35
(a) The mayor of each city and the selectmen of each town of more than 5,000 and less than 20,000 inhabitants shall establish a comprehensive...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Appointment of district sealers; powers and duties; bond; compensation; records; fees; certification - Chapter 98, Section 36
Two or more municipalities may combine the whole or any part of their respective territories as may be agreed upon by the boards or officers...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Determination that cities or towns have an inadequate weights and measures enforcement system; assumption of responsibilities - Chapter 98, Section 36A
For a city or town where the mayor or board of selectmen have appointed a sealer pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of section...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Reports of municipalities; weighing and measuring devices - Chapter 98, Section 37
Each municipality shall annually, between January 1 and January 31, submit to the director a written report that describes the components of the municipality’s weights...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Duplicate set of apothecaries’ weights and liquid measures - Chapter 98, Section 38
Sealers shall, upon request to the deputy director, be provided, at the expense of their towns, with duplicate sets of apothecaries’ weights and apothecaries’ liquid...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Receipt and accountability of town standards and seal - Chapter 98, Section 39
Except as otherwise provided in section thirty-six each sealer shall receive from his town treasurer a set of standards and a seal, and shall give...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Duplicate set of weights, measures and balances - Chapter 98, Section 40
A sealer or deputy visiting the place of business of a person to test and seal weighing or measuring devices may use therefor suitable weights,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Annual testing and sealing of weights and measures; notice; record - Chapter 98, Section 41
Sealers shall annually give public notice, by advertisement or by posting notices in one or more public places in their towns or districts, to all...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to comply with notice; sealing on premises; interference with sealer; penalty - Chapter 98, Section 42
After giving said notice, said sealers shall go to the houses, stores, shops, vehicles, or other commercial premises, during normal business hours, of a person...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Testing of weighing or measuring devices registering price - Chapter 98, Section 43
A sealer or deputy shall test all weighing or measuring devices having a device for indicating or registering the price as well as the weight...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Testing of devices for determining measurement of leather; rules and regulations - Chapter 98, Section 44
Devices used for determining the measurement of leather bought, sold or offered for sale shall be tested as to the correctness of measures indicated by...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Testing of taximeters; rules and regulations - Chapter 98, Section 45
All devices used upon vehicles for determining the cost of transportation shall be tested as to the correctness of measures and values indicated by them,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Testing of devices for standardizing production and determining wages, capacity of tanks or containers; sealing; condemnation; fee schedule; certificate; accuracy of automatic devices - Chapter 98, Section 46
The deputy director may, if he deems it desirable, and shall, upon request, test any weights, measures, instruments or mechanical devices of any kind used...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Bulk milk tanks; calibration and sealing - Chapter 98, Section 46A
Each bulk milk tank shall upon installation be calibrated and sealed by the director or his authorized representative. Reinstallation of a used bulk milk tank...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Annual testing of apothecaries’ weights and measures; sealing; graduated glass measures; approval; designating marks; revocation of authority - Chapter 98, Section 47
Apothecaries and other persons dealing in or dispensing drugs, medicines or merchandise sold, dispensed or given away by apothecaries’ weights or by apothecaries’ liquid measure,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Use of untested weights or measures - Chapter 98, Section 48
Whoever sells or dispenses drugs, medicines or merchandise requiring the use of apothecaries’ weights or apothecaries’ liquid measures or in the sale of which they...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Annual tests of hay and coal scales - Chapter 98, Section 49
Sealers shall go once a year, and oftener if necessary, to each hay and coal scale and other weighing or measuring device in their towns...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Tests of weighing or measuring devices upon request; results - Chapter 98, Section 50
Whoever uses any weighing or measuring devices may have them tested by the sealer at any time upon request and the sealer shall seal or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Sealing of glass milk and cream bottles or jars - Chapter 98, Section 51
When notified by a dealer in milk or cream using glass bottles or jars for the distribution thereof that he has in his possession not...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Testing incorrect weights or measuring devices upon complaint; entry; use of device - Chapter 98, Section 52
If a person informs a sealer that he has reasonable cause to believe, or if such sealer has reasonable cause to believe, that any weighing...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Marking devices with stencil; certificate; notice forbidding use; removal of notice - Chapter 98, Section 53
If a sealer cannot seal any weighing or measuring device in the usual manner, he may mark it with a stencil or by other suitable...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Seizure of weighing or measuring devices for evidence; disposition - Chapter 98, Section 54
A sealer or deputy may seize without a warrant weighing or measuring devices necessary to be used as evidence in cases of violation of the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Seizure of devices not conforming to legal standards; destruction - Chapter 98, Section 55
A sealer or deputy may seize weighing or measuring devices not conforming to legal standards or not sealed as required by law; and a person...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Fees of sealers - Chapter 98, Section 56
Except as otherwise established in a town by town meeting action and in a city by city council action, by adoptions of the appropriate by-laws...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Location of scales for food sold at retail - Chapter 98, Section 56A
Whoever places a scale or weighing device when used in weighing food sold at retail by weight in the presence of the purchaser so that...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Computing scales for prepackaged meat, poultry or fish; penalty for failure to provide - Chapter 98, Section 56B
Whoever being engaged in the business of selling prepackaged meat, poultry or edible fish at retail refuses or neglects to provide each outlet where said...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Placement of cash register; observation of total by customer; penalty - Chapter 98, Section 56C
Whoever maintains a cash register or other mechanical device at a counter for totalling the monetary value of customer purchases at retail which is so...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Examination and testing of automated retail checkout systems - Chapter 98, Section 56D
(a) The director or the director’s inspectors and sealers and inspectors of weights and measures and their deputies shall, in every 24 month period, examine...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Report - Chapter 98, Section 57
The director of the office of consumer affairs shall prepare and submit to the governor, the general court and the senate and house committees on...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1922, 355, Sec. 8 - Chapter 98, Section 58
Repealed, 1922, 355, Sec.
Last modified: September 11, 2015