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The National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) is an evaluation program administered by the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM). Type evaluation is the process whereby weighing and measuring devices are examined to determine if the performance, operating characteristics, features and options of a particular device complies with the applicable requirements of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Handbook 44. NCWM, in conjunction with industry and weights and measures officials, established a Task Force to develop NTEP in 1976. NTEP was later established in 1984 and is a cooperative program among manufacturers, users, and weights and measures officials. The purpose of NTEP was to establish a uniform set of criteria and test procedures for the evaluation of commercial weighing and measuring devices. Before the adoption of NTEP there were 16 different type approval agencies in the United States. With the establishment of NTEP, a single evaluation can satisfy all states. In addition to promoting uniformity it reduces cost and time in getting a device to market; reduces the burden on state type approval programs; reduces costly mistakes to device users; enables tests to be conducted prior to the device being sold for commercial use. An NTEP evaluation is the one time that a weighing scale type of device is subjected to testing that includes maximum capacities and all features specified by the manufacturer, thereby certifying them as NTEP scales. Presently, 46 of the 50 states are NTEP states. That means they require an NTEP Certificate of Conformance (CC) for any device, like weighing scales, used commercially in their state. The non NTEP states are Texas, North Dakota, Vermont and Rhode Island. US Virgin Islands also does not require an NTEP certificate. Scale manufacturers are supposed to submit their devices for an NTEP evaluation prior to the devices being sold for commercial use. The user and scale company must purchase and sell only devices with an NTEP CC if the device is to be used commercially. The weights and measures officials must verify that the specific model of the device is covered by the NTEP CC and is set up consistent with the CC. An NTEP scale is meant to make the end-user’s life easy with no confusion cropping up in weights and measurements.
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