IE
(LRC Revised)
Statutory Text (1 Articles)
Number 27 of 1996
METROLOGY ACT 1996
REVISED
Updated to 7 July 2026
Changes to legislation
as of 10 July 2026, this Act is up to date with all changes known to be in force.
This Revised Act is an
administrative consolidation of the
Metrology Act 1996
. It is prepared by the Law
Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the
Law Reform Commission Act
1975
(3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and
consolidation of statute law.
All Acts up to and including the
Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Act 2026
(19/2026), enacted 7 July 2026, and all statutory instruments up
to and including the
Finance Act 2025 (Section 45) (Commencement) Order 2026
(S.I. No. 324 of 2026), made 7 July 2026, were considered in the preparation of this
Revised Act.
Disclaimer: While every care has
been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume
no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning
the
accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not
accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify
any
errors, omissions and comments by email to revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number
27
of
1996
METROLOGY ACT 1996
REVISED
Updated to 7 July 2026
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
PART I
Preliminary
Section
1.
Short title,
commencement and scope.
2.
Interpretation.
3.
Regulations.
4.
Fees.
5.
Expenses.
6.
Repeals and
amendments.
PART II
Legal Metrology Service
7.
Establishment
of Legal Metrology Service and Office of Director of Legal
Metrology.
8.
Transfer of
personnel.
9.
Appointment of
inspectors.
10.
Powers of
inspectors.
11.
Offences in
connection with the Service.
12.
Special
bodies.
PART III
Control Procedures
13.
Sale,
distribution and use of metrological instruments.
14.
Conformity
assessment procedures.
15.
In-Service
inspection.
16.
Marking of
instruments.
17.
Sealing and
securing instruments.
PART IV
Authorised Units and
Standards
18.
Legal units
of measurement.
19.
Definition of
other units.
20.
Denominations
of standard.
21.
Standards.
PART V
General
22.
Adjustment of
instruments.
23.
Forgery and
use of forged marks.
24.
Tampering
with marks and instruments.
25.
Removing or
breaking tags, seals and devices.
26.
Public
equipment for weighing or measuring.
27.
Solid
fuel.
28.
Short measure
on sale.
29.
Misrepresentation.
30.
Appeal
against seizures.
31.
Offences by
bodies corporate.
32.
Prosecution
of offences.
33.
Penalties.
34.
Transfer of
property.
FIRST SCHEDULE
Repeals and Amendments
SECOND SCHEDULE
Denominations of Standard
THIRD SCHEDULE
Definitions of other Units
Number
27
of
1996
METROLOGY ACT 1996
REVISED
Updated to 7 July 2026
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A LEGAL METROLOGY SERVICE AND FOR RELATED MATTERS. [31
st July
,
1996]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS
FOLLOWS
Annotations
Modifications (not altering text)
C1
Application of Act
restricted (6.03.2018) by
European Union (Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments)
Regulations 2018
(S.I. No. 47 of 2018), reg. 6(3), in operation as per reg.
1(2).
Free movement of instruments
6. ...
(3) Nothing in the Metrology Act
1996 (No. 27 of 1996) or any other enactment or rule of law shall impede the
making available on the market or putting into service for the applications
referred to in Regulation 3(a) of an instrument where such instrument complies
with the Directive.
C2
Application of Act
restricted (28.02.2018) by
European Communities (Measuring Instruments and
Metrological Control) Regulations 2018
(S.I. No. 43 of 2018), reg. 4, in
operation as per reg. 1(2).
Metrology Act 1996 and other laws
4. (1) Subject to paragraph (2),
nothing in the Metrology Act 1996 (No. 27 of 1996) or any other enactment or rule
of law shall prevent, prohibit or restrict the placing on the market or entry into
service of an instrument or of a product described in Regulation 3 where that
instrument or product bears EC marks or signs in accordance with—
(
a
) these Regulations
or the law of another Member State giving effect to the Metrology Directive, and
(
b
) the law of the
State giving effect to a separate Directive relating to the instrument or product
in question or the law of another Member State giving effect to a separate
Directive relating to the instrument or product in question.
(2) Where an instrument bears an
EC initial verification mark, paragraph (1) shall not apply in respect of that
instrument from the end of the year following the year in which that mark was
affixed to the instrument or, where the law of the State giving effect to a
separate Directive provides for a longer period, from the end of that period.
Annotations
Modifications (not altering text)
C1
Application of Act
restricted (6.03.2018) by
European Union (Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments)
Regulations 2018
(S.I. No. 47 of 2018), reg. 6(3), in operation as per reg.
1(2).
Free movement of instruments
6. ...
(3) Nothing in the Metrology Act
1996 (No. 27 of 1996) or any other enactment or rule of law shall impede the
making available on the market or putting into service for the applications
referred to in Regulation 3(a) of an instrument where such instrument complies
with the Directive.
C2
Application of Act
restricted (28.02.2018) by
European Communities (Measuring Instruments and
Metrological Control) Regulations 2018
(S.I. No. 43 of 2018), reg. 4, in
operation as per reg. 1(2).
Metrology Act 1996 and other laws
4. (1) Subject to paragraph (2),
nothing in the Metrology Act 1996 (No. 27 of 1996) or any other enactment or rule
of law shall prevent, prohibit or restrict the placing on the market or entry into
service of an instrument or of a product described in Regulation 3 where that
instrument or product bears EC marks or signs in accordance with—
(
a
) these Regulations
or the law of another Member State giving effect to the Metrology Directive, and
(
b
) the law of the
State giving effect to a separate Directive relating to the instrument or product
in question or the law of another Member State giving effect to a separate
Directive relating to the instrument or product in question.
(2) Where an instrument bears an
EC initial verification mark, paragraph (1) shall not apply in respect of that
instrument from the end of the year following the year in which that mark was
affixed to the instrument or, where the law of the State giving effect to a
separate Directive provides for a longer period, from the end of that period.
Section
1.
Short title,
commencement and scope.
2.
Interpretation.
3.
Regulations.
4.
Fees.
5.
Expenses.
6.
Repeals and
amendments.
PART II
Legal Metrology Service
7.
Establishment
of Legal Metrology Service and Office of Director of Legal
Metrology.
8.
Transfer of
personnel.
9.
Appointment of
inspectors.
10.
Powers of
inspectors.
11.
Offences in
connection with the Service.
12.
Special
bodies.
PART III
Control Procedures
13.
Sale,
distribution and use of metrological instruments.
14.
Conformity
assessment procedures.
15.
In-Service
inspection.
16.
Marking of
instruments.
17.
Sealing and
securing instruments.
PART IV
Authorised Units and
Standards
18.
Legal units
of measurement.
19.
Definition of
other units.
20.
Denominations
of standard.
21.
Standards.
PART V
General
22.
Adjustment of
instruments.
23.
Forgery and
use of forged marks.
24.
Tampering
with marks and instruments.
25.
Removing or
breaking tags, seals and devices.
26.
Public
equipment for weighing or measuring.
27.
Solid
fuel.
28.
Short measure
on sale.
29.
Misrepresentation.
30.
Appeal
against seizures.
31.
Offences by
bodies corporate.
32.
Prosecution
of offences.
33.
Penalties.
34.
Transfer of
property.
FIRST SCHEDULE
Repeals and Amendments
SECOND SCHEDULE
Denominations of Standard
THIRD SCHEDULE
Definitions of other Units