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International Legal Metrology

Facilitation of U.S. participation in the technical work of the International Legal Metrology Organization (OIML) and harmonization with U.S. manufacturing and industry stakeholders.

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Credit: NIST

About International Legal Metrology

The International Legal Metrology group within OWM serves as the primary representation of the U.S. in international legal metrology organizations and other international fora related to weights and measures. The group also coordinates with the National Legal Metrology efforts within OWM to harmonize national and international legal metrology documentary standards and practices.

Who We Are

Staff members are physical scientists and engineers with experience working in metrology research laboratories, as weighing and measuring device type evaluators, and/or industry service specialists.

What We Do

We facilitate U.S. participation in the technical work of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), a treaty organization that develops voluntary standards (called Recommendations) intended to be used to harmonize national legislation among Member States in areas where regulated instruments and measurements are involved. By authority of the U.S. State Department, NIST representatives vote on OIML technical matters, including at the level of the International Committee of Legal Metrology (CIML), which is the technical and administrative oversight body of OIML.

We also coordinate participation of U.S. manufacturers, users of weighing and measuring instruments, legal metrology officials and other U.S. stakeholders in the technical work of OIML by circulating draft Recommendations and other OIML publications for comment, and by leading U.S. delegations to OIML Technical Meetings. The group also maintains liaisons with several national, regional, and international organizations, and actively participates in two Regional Legal Metrology Organizations (RLMOs), the Asia Pacific Legal Metrology Forum (APLMF) and the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM).

What is Legal Metrology?

Legal Metrology is the practice and process of applying regulatory structure and enforcement to metrology. Learn more... 

International Standards Activities

Staff in the International Legal Metrology group coordinate the U.S. participation in the following International Legal Metrology organizations: 

Events

2054 Mass Metrology Seminar

Mon, Oct 27 - Fri, Nov 7 2025
Due to a lapse in annual appropriations for the Department of Commerce, NIST conferences have been paused; registration

2055 Fundamentals of Metrology

Mon, Jan 26 - Fri, Jan 30 2026
The 5-day Fundamentals of Metrology seminar is an intensive course that introduces participants to the concepts of

Newsletter Articles and News

Legal Metrology Meets the Digital Age

The days when a telephone was just a device to make phone calls are long gone. Nowadays, almost everybody has a smartphone with the capability to use it as a

C-RMAP 2025: “That’s A Wrap!”

In early June, over 115 metrologists from state, county, and federal government laboratories gathered with manufacturing and industry laboratory metrologists in

OWM Info Hours Update

OWM continues to host a series of Information Hours, or "Info Hours," to feature current weights and measures, laboratory metrology, or documentary standard

EVSE Metrology Trainings are a Go!

OWM is ramping up a new series of metrology training for the testing and verification of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). This August, in conjunction

Awards

Contacts

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