Issuing certificates of approval

Once the National Measurement Institute (NMI) has approved your instrument prototype, we issue a certificate of approval.

We will consult with you to finalise the technical information presented in the certificate.

Interim certificate

We may issue an interim certificate on request or as required while we finalise the certificate.

Final certificate  

You may need to provide us with extra technical information or drawings to describe the instrument. We draft and send you the final certificate to review and agree to.

Once we have your response, we issue a final certificate.

We review certificates of approval every five years to ensure compliance with current legislative and technical requirements.

Changes to certificates

You must notify us if you make any changes to the design of the instrument after we issue the certificate of approval. We may need to add a variant or make other amendments to the certificate.

You must also notify us if your company or contact details change.

Special clauses

Some certificates of approval may include special clauses. Under these clauses, you may need to provide extra information like copies of test results or instrument locations. 

Instruments approved for legal use

Some measuring instruments have been approved for legal use only. These instruments can’t be used for trade as they may have been assessed against different criteria and have different controls around their use.

Manufacturing, importing and supplying measuring instruments

When you import or build instruments under this certificate, you must:

• construct the instrument as described in the certificate of approval and the technical schedule
• mark each instrument with its pattern approval number and information stated on the certificate of approval

You may also get the instrument:

• verified by a servicing licensee or a utility meter verifier before it can be used for trade
• get the instrument certified by a certifying authority before it can be uses for legal purposes

To find a servicing licensee to verify your measuring instrument, email tmlicensees@measurement.gov.au.

Auxiliary devices

If your certificate of approval allows you to connect an auxiliary or peripheral device—such as a printer or fuel dispenser nozzle—it may refer to a general supplementary certificate of approval.

If you supply auxiliary devices to third parties along with your instrument, you must ensure that it complies with the relevant general certificates.

You do not need to submit auxiliary devices for pattern approval.

If you have any questions, email patternapproval@measurement.gov.au or phone 1300 686 664.

Internationally recognised certificates

We can issue International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) certificates of conformity along with a test report. 

You can use these to get your instrument approved for trade use in other countries. These documents provide evidence that we have evaluated your instrument and it complies with the requirements of an OIML recommendation for patterns of instruments in use for trade.
We issue OIML certificates for:

• continuous totalising automatic weighing instruments
• automatic catchweighing instruments
• load cells
• non-automatic weighing instruments
• automatic rail weighbridges
• measuring systems for liquids other than water

Read more

• See certificates of approval for approved instruments.
• Find out how to apply for pattern approval.

Contact us

• Email patternapproval@measurement.gov.au
• Phone 1300 686 664

See also

Find out about selling goods by weights and measures.