International Legal Metrology Program

About the International Legal Metrology Program

The International Legal Metrology Program (ILMP) is part of the Office of Weights and Measures within NIST's Physical Measurements Laboratory.

What is Legal Metrology?

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

What We Do

The primary mission of the International Legal Metrology Program (ILMP) is to 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. The Group coordinates 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. By authority of the U.S. State Department, the Group votes 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. 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).

Our Work

The International Legal Metrology Group coordinates U.S. participation in the:

• International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML)
• Asia-Pacific Legal Metrology Forum (APLMF)
• Inter-American Metrology System (SIM)