Importer Registration Registration

For the weight & measurement item import the Importer Registration Certificate is mandatory to have. Without certification, you are not allowed to do business in country boundaries. According to Section 19 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, any person importing weight or measure items should registered with the Director of Legal Metrology. In the above-stated line, the word “any person” is very important since it leaves no scope for any person to import the weight or measures without valid importer registration certificate.

It means whether the person is importing for commercial use, personal use, reselling, or industrial consumption, everyone is squarely covered under the compliance of Section 19. 

What Is Importer Registration Certificate For Weight & Measurement Items?

Importer Registration license is a mandatory documents that need for any individual, firm, Hindu undivided family, society, company or corporation. It is necessary for business who and which is willing to import the commodity for sale, distribution or delivery. The certificate of import registration is issued by the controller of legal metrology in the state where the importer is registered.

The license of the importer is valid for the time period of 5 years and renewed upon the application. The purpose of the IRC is to ensure that the imported goods of weight and measures are paased the standards set by the Legal Metrology Act, 2009. The certificate of the import registration help to counterfeit or substandard weight and measurement items.

How Importer Registration Certificate Different From The Normal Importer Registration In The Form of The Import-Export Code (IEC)?

The import and export code are mandatory registration under the foreign trade regulation act. Without this registration you cannot register on the export-import portal of the DGFT and custom authorities. It is the most essential thing for starting the export – imports.  In addition to IEC, export-imports of different products attract different compliances under the other legislations to which generally the custom authorities called as “Allied Acts”, compliances of which are checked with the main act of Customs Act, 1962.

Accordingly, while custom clearance many kinds of compliances, licenses, approvals, NOCs & registrations are prescribed in addition to get import-export code. Likewise, the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 has mandated the registration of importers of weight and measurements in addition to their IEC code.

How To Obtain Importer Registration Certificate?


To get the Importer registration certificate you must have to submit an application along with the following documents:-

  • A copy of the importer’s GST Certificate
  • A copy of the importer’s IEC Code
  • A NOC from the foreign supplier of weight or measures
  • A Letter of Undertaking by the Applicant

What Information Does Importer Registration Certificate Contains?

When the application is apprived and the certificate is granted the following information must be mentioned on the license:-

  • The name and address of the importer
  • The date of issue of the certificate
  • The validity period of the certificate
  • The list of weight and measurement items that the importer is registered to import

What Is The Procedure Of Obtaining Weights & Measurement Importer Registration Certificate?

The procedure of Importer Registration Certificate is prescribed under Rule 15 of the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011.  The application for weight & measurement certificate for importers can be made before the Director of Legal Metrology, Central Government through the controller of the state. The application must be accompanied by the following documents:

  • Business entity details of importer
  • GST Certificate of Importer
  • IEC Code
  • NOC from foreign supplier of weight or measures
  • Letter of Undertaking by the Applicant
  • Details of the items to be imported
  • Dealers license from local state Legal Metrology Department
  • Inspection by the concerned authorities

Once you successfully filed an application, the State Government shall conduct the inspection & verification of the importer, after the verification shall forward your application to the Director of Legal Metrology, Central Government. The registration must be applied 30 days before the commencement of the import of goods. The application for registration is filed in schedule X under rule 15 of the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, and obtained under Section 19 of the Act.

Cancellation of Registration of Importer

The registration or renewal of the Importer Registration Certificate of a person as an importer may be suspended or revoked before the expiry of the period of validity thereof, if the Director is satisfied after an inquiry, and after giving to the person concerned one month notice of being heard, that any statement made by such person in the application for registration or renewal of registration was false or incorrect in material particulars or that such person has contravened any provision the Act or rules made there under or any term or condition of such registration.
Validity & Renewal of Importer Registration Certificate of weights & Measurements
The validity of importer registration is for a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 5 years. Whoever imports any weighing or measuring instruments to do business in the Indian market without being a registered importer under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 shall be punished with a fine which may extend to Rs. 25,000 and for a subsequent offence, with imprisonment for a term up to six months, or with fine, or with both.

From Where You Can Apply For Importer Registration Certificate?

If you are willing to apply for this certificate then you can apply it by the help of expert guidance of Legal Metrology India Consultant. They will help you in filiing the registration certificate on your behalf. You can apply for the LMPC Certificate, Model Approval, and other resgistration services.
Problems in Custom Clearance if you don’t obtain weight & measurements certificate
At the time of Custom Clearance, the custom appraiser or examiner may ask you to submit the copy of weight and measurement certificate along with the copy of model approval of the weight or measurement item which you have imported. Such a situation generally becomes the most panic event for any importer. 

Moreover, the procedure of getting the importer registration is not completely online and it does involve the intervention of both the State and Central Government which makes the process difficult and lengthy for any person.   Further the process of model approval does also take 45-60 days, which again becomes an impractical situation for any importer especially when the goods are lying on the port because in such a situation till the time importer does not get the registrations done the detention demurrages keep on charging on importer.