LMPC Registration for Importers - Fees, Documents, Validity and process

Step 1: Submit the application form to the director of Metrology

To apply for an LMPC certificate, you must first submit an application form. The application form must be submitted to the director of Metrology at your local government unit. You can find the director of Metrology's contact information on the Metrology Council website.

Step 2: Submit the documents required for LMPC registration

If you are applying for an LMPC certificate, you will need to submit a copy of your business permit and a copy of your current license to operate as a merchant or store owner. You will also need to submit documents verifying that you have paid all city and provincial taxes in the past two years (if applicable), along with any other documents that the Director of Metrology may request.

Step 3: Submit the LMPC registration fees

Once you've submitted all required documents and paid the applicable fees, you can expect your LMPC certificate within 7-10 working days (depending on when your application is received).

Once you have submitted your application, it will be forwarded to the director of Metrology for review. The director will then contact you via email to let you know if your application has been accepted or not. If accepted, you will be sent an approval call which will include more details about the course and how much it costs.

Note: In case of incomplete/incorrect details, The application will be returned to the applicant entity within 7 days of receiving it.

Information to be included on the package

According to the Department of Consumer Affairs, you are not permitted to manufacture, market, sell, Import, pack, or distribute pre-packaged goods without mentioning certain information on the outer package.

1. Maximum Retail Price (inclusive of GST)
2. Date of manufacturing/packing/import
3. Generic name of the product
4. Date of expiry in case of food items
5. Net contents in terms of weights / volume / length
6. Details of the consumer care
7. Country of origin for imported goods
8. Quantities in which packing is made, i.e., below 5g, 5g, 10g, 20g, etc

Declarations to be made in the LMPC certificate

Following declarations must be made by the importers while registering for a Legal metrology certificate. Importers who fail to declare the following are ineligible to apply for LMPC registration.

1. Whether the packing is made in standard quantities as specified in Rule 5 of Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011).
2. Whether the package is a combination package or group package, or a multi-piece package.
3. Whether the package is a retail package or a wholesale package
4. Whether the package contains perishable commodities or food items
5. Whether the packed items will also be exported out of the country
6. Whether the items are being packed for specific industries only as raw material.
7. Whether the package contains fast food items
8. Whether the package contains any schedule / non-scheduled formulations covered under the Drugs (price control) order or any agricultural farm products of 50 kg and above.
9. Whether the shop/factory/premises is owned/rented.
10. Have your premises been last inspected by the inspector of the W & M Department?
11. Whether your firm has been challenged during the last three years for violating Weights & Measures laws. If Yes, the date of challan etc.?
12. Offenses for which challenged and whether it is compounded or not

The following are not considered to be a legal compulsion for having an LMPC certificate:

• Commodities have a net weight of 10 gms or 10 ml or less.
• Agricultural products packed in weights greater than 50 kg
• Packages containing fast food items packed by a hotel or restaurant
• Formulation-containing packages authorized by the Drugs (Price Control) Order, 1995
• Packaged goods targeted for institutional consumers(those who purchase the products directly from the manufacturer for use in that business) or service institutions such as airways, railways, hotels and hospitals
• Packages containing goods weighing more than 25 kg or 25 litres, with the exception of cement or fertilizer sold in bags weighing up to 50 kg.

• A late fee of Rs. 5000( for Delhi) will be incurred if your application for an LMPC certificate is submitted more than 90 days after the importation process begins
• Importers, packers, manufacturers, and dealers who violate the established norms of measurements and weights may be subject to a fine of up to 10,000 or a year in jail.
• If an importer, packer or manufacturer violates section 11 of the LMPC Act, they can be fined up to ₹10,000 or serve a year in prison.
• If an importer, packer or manufacturer delivers quantities that are less than what the end-user has paid for, they can be fined up to ₹10,000 or serve a year in prison.
• Importing any weight or measure is only allowed by an importer certificate under section 19 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009. The customs authorities are getting stricter regarding this law, and business owners need to get an importer certificate before importing any weight or measure.
• Manufacturers and importers who fail to submit annual returns will be fined ₹5,000 or spend a year in jail.
• If the label on the product has an unverified weight, then the importer will also be penalized.
• Importers, sellers, distributors, and manufacturers who make a sale of products that do not have an LMPC declaration on the packaging will be penalized by a fine of ₹2,000 to ₹10,000 or spend a year in jail or both.