Why LPMC License Renewal is Important?

Let us understand what exactly Legal Metrology and Pre-packaged Commodities is. Legal Metrology is the international concept and convention on standardization of weights and measures. It lays down globally accepted standards and scales for weighing systems and Standard Issue (SI) units for measuring various quantities of commodities and items available in the consumer space. It mandates the standard metric scale for measuring items and commodities in line with international legal metrology standards. The Legal Metrology Act of 2009 is the prime legislation that governs individuals and entities that use weights, measures, and metrics usually used in industrial manufacturing and production. It also applies to manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, importers, dealers, transporters or importers of packaged or sealed commodities. All these entities falling under the purview of the Legal Metrology Act are required to obtain a valid Legal Metrology Packaged Commodities Certificate (LMPC), which is issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. LMPC certificate is important to facilitate manufacturing, packing, transporting and importing packaged goods and commodities.

LMPC Certificate helps the licensee in inventory management, bookkeeping, logistics and supply chain management and procurement of other licenses. The procedure for applying for LMPC license renewal is given in the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. The Legal Metrology Department has specified the standards for specific weights, measures, quantities and scales for the purpose of defining standards for legal Metrology for measuring commercial items and commodities. Legal Metrology becomes important for the manufacturers or importers since they engage in packaging and transporting food items and other materials to retail stores directly to the customers.

How to Ensure Uniformity with Weights and Measurements?

The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodity) Rules,2017 have prescribed the standards for ensuring uniformity with weights and measurements for packaging and labelling for manufacturers and suppliers of consumer products in order to uniformity with Weights and Measurements. In an endeavor to bring uniformity in the standard practices of packaging and labelling of products. The rules made that every packaged item must contain properly visible labels and marks containing details such as – manufacturer or producers’ address and personal details, ingredients, net quantity, date and place of manufacturing, Maximum Retail Price (MRP), address of grievance-redressal authority etc. These packaging and labelling standards ensure that all manufacturers, sellers, and distributors of the packaged items offer consumers products that are not adulterated, hampered, damaged, or rendered unsafe for consumer use. The LMPC certificate is a statutory certification that is issued by the Legal Metrology Department to the manufacturer, seller or retailer of packaged goods, certifying compliance with the packaging and labelling requirements as per the law. The manufacturer or importer must apply to regulatory authorities in order to obtain a Legal Metrology License for their products, which remains valid for a definite period of time, after which it has to be renewed by completing LMPC license renewal requirements. LPMC Certificate not only aligns the standard business practices of a manufacturer or importer of goods with national as well as internationally accepted legal metrology standards but also helps the licensee gain the trust and confidence of the customers since an LMPC license signifies a mark of product quality and product-friendly packaging. 

Certification for Pre-packaged Commodity

In order to obtain a certification for pre-packaged commodities, the manufacturer or importer of pre-packaged commodities. It covers commodities such as fruits, vegetables and other food items sold loose, pulses, biscuits, confectionaries and other items that are sold after pre-packaging. Section 2(I) of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 defines pre-packaged commodities as items that have been placed in any kind of packaging, sealed or unsealed, with the product inside the packaging having a fixed amount. As per the DGFT Notification no. RE-44 of 2000,the Government has authorized. The process that needs to be followed for obtaining a valid LMPC License is as follows – 

• The application to obtain LMPC Certificate is made on the LMPC Portal of the Department of Consumer Affairs.
• If the applicant is an importer, it should file an application with the Director of Legal Metrology, along with the business documents and certifications required to apply for a Legal Metrology License. It is up to the discretion of the statutory authorities to ask for any additional documents or furnish any additional proof than what has been provided by the applicant. 
• After submission of the required documents, the applicant is required to pay the requisite fees and other charges applicable to the application process.
• After fees and payment, the application would be reviewed by the State Legal Metrology Department, and the applicant would be informed of the status of the application.
• An inspector is assigned to inspect and scrutinize the premises and submit their report to the Department.
• Based on the Inspection Report and compliance with the Legal Metrology Act and Rules, the application is accepted or rejected and, in the former, the LMPC Certificate is issued. It allows the licensee to manufacture or import packaged goods freely for a period of 5 years. 

Papers Required for Renewing LMPC License

The paper srequired for LMPC Registration is different in every state Once issued, the LMPC License remains valid for a period of 5 years, after which it is required to be renewed. For the purpose of making an application for LMPC license renewal, the following documents are required –  

1. Copy of existing LMPC License granted by the Legal Metrology Department
2. Ownership documents of the premises, such as Lease agreement, sale deed, transfer deed
3. Identity Proof of the applicant – PAN Card, AADHAR Card, Voter ID card, etc
4. Details of the tools, machines and equipment used on the premises
5. Corporate Documents of the Company – MOA, AOA, CIN, DIN.
6. List of workers enrolled in the company, labour and employee contracts
7. GSTIN details of the company
8. Past financial statements of the company.

LMPC License Renewal Process

LMPC License Renewal Process entails a procedure of document submission and verification by the Statutory Authorities. An application for LMPC license renewal shall be made at least 30 days before the expiry of the previous license. As per Rule 11 of the Legal Metrology (Enforcement)Rules, 2011, the following steps are required to be followed in order to fulfil LMPC license renewal requirements–

• A renewal application must be made to the concerned State Legal Metrological Department.
• The application fee should be paid, along with the required documents and forms, by the applicant.
• The application is examined and assessed by the Assistant Controller of Legal Metrology for all compliances and relevant disclosures.
• After examination by the Assistant Controller, the Inspector proceeds to conduct an inspection of the premises and, based on the inspection, forwards a report to the Assistant Controller.
• Based on the recommendation of the Inspector, the Controller of Legal Metrology, after satisfying himself with the report and inspection, the Deputy Controller/ Controller issues a certificate of LMPC license renewal.

Validity and Exemptions Under LMPC Rules

Lest talk about Validity and Exemptions Under LMPC Rules. An LMPC License remains valid for a period of 5 years from the date of grant, after which it has to be renewed. Though almost all kinds of products and commodities are mandatorily required to have a valid LMPC license, there are some commodities that are exempted from the requirement of an LMPC license. They are –

• If a product weighs less than 10 grams
• Packaged agricultural products that are 50 kilos.
• Fast-food products produced by Hotels and restaurants
• Drugs and pharmaceuticals are regulated by specific regulations

Seek Professional Help from Corpbiz for LMPC License Renewal

Numerous corporates trust Corpbiz for LMPC License Renewal For the manufacturers and importers of commodities such as foods, pharmaceuticals, pulses and loose grains, compliance under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, and the rules therein are essential for the purpose of running the business smoothly. The Legal Metrology Act mandates adequate packing and labelling for these products and also ensures that they meet specific packaging requirements as per internationally accepted packing standards. Since the License validity of an LMPC certificate is periodic, it is essential to undergo LMPC license renewal after the expiry of the original license.

LPMC license renewal is mandatory for any manufacturing, retail or wholesale business as it signifies that the product has been packaged and labelled as per the Legal Metrology rules and guidelines, whereby the packaging contains details about the product, quantity and net weight, address of manufacturing unit, nutritional value and other key information about the product. At Corpbiz, you can rely on us for your LMPC License Renewal process on us. Our expert assistance services in licensing and industrial compliances would ensure the LMPC License Renewal process is swift, cost-effective, and errorless.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Read our Article: Key Components Of LMPC License Application And Documentation