Va. Code Ann. § 3.2-5600
This is the official text of Va. Code Ann. § 3.2-5600, part of Virginia’s Code of Virginia — the complete compiled statutory law of Virginia, organized into 60+ numbered titles by subject.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Definitions generally
Official statutory text
As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
"Commodity in package form" means any commodity packaged in any manner in advance of sale in units suitable for either wholesale or retail sale, exclusive of an auxiliary shipping container enclosing packages that individually conform to the requirements of this chapter. An individual item or lot of any commodity not in package form as defined in this section, but on which there is marked a selling price based on an established price per unit of weight or of measure, shall be construed to be commodity in package form.
"Cord" means the amount of wood that is contained in a space of 128 cubic feet when the wood is ranked and well stowed.
"Dockage" means the weight of impurities deducted by agreement between the seller and the buyer.
"Fractional parts of units of weight or measure" means like fractional parts of the value of such unit as prescribed or defined in this chapter, and all contracts concerning the sale of commodities and services shall be construed in accordance with this definition.
"Gross weight" means the total weight of the commodity, including any wrapper, and any other material or thing weighed or packed with such commodity, and including the vehicle or vessel containing the commodity.
"Inspector" means a state inspector who is employed and authorized to test, certify, and seal weights and measures.
"Livestock auction market" means any place of business or establishment where, during the regular course of business, cattle, sheep, swine, or other livestock are offered or exposed for sale, or sold, by weight, or by head, at auction, for compensation or profit.
"Net weight" means the net weight of a commodity, that is, the weight of the commodity exclusive of any wrapper, and any other material or thing weighed or packed with such commodity, and excluding the vehicle or vessel containing the commodity. Net weight is the difference between the gross weight and the tare weight.
"Point-of-sale system" means an electronic cash register capable of recovering stored information related to the sale price of individual retail items.
"Sealer" means an inspector of weights and measures of a city, a county, or a joint city-county jurisdiction.
"Sell" or "sale" includes barter and exchange.
"Tare weight" means the weight of any wrapper, and any other vehicle, vessel, material or thing that is weighed with, but not an actual part of, a commodity sold by weight; thus, tare weight may include, in the case of a packaged commodity, a wrapper, container, packaging material, binding material, preservative, or the like, or in the case of bulk commodity, a vehicle, box, can, jar, or the like.
"Ton" means a unit of 2,000 pounds avoirdupois weight.
"Weighmaster" means the person responsible for weighing livestock that will be offered for sale, based on his weight determination.
"Weight" means the net weight when used in connection with this chapter. Whenever any commodity is sold on the basis of weight, the net weight of the commodity shall be employed, and all contracts concerning commodities shall be so construed.
"Weights and measures" means all weights and measures of every kind, including instruments and devices for weighing and measuring, and any appliances and accessories associated with any or all such instruments and devices.
Code 1950, §§ 3-708.1, 59-71; 1962, c. 298; 1966, c. 702, § 3.1-919; 1991, c. 605; 1993, c. 604; 2008, c. 860 .
"Commodity in package form" means any commodity packaged in any manner in advance of sale in units suitable for either wholesale or retail sale, exclusive of an auxiliary shipping container enclosing packages that individually conform to the requirements of this chapter. An individual item or lot of any commodity not in package form as defined in this section, but on which there is marked a selling price based on an established price per unit of weight or of measure, shall be construed to be commodity in package form.
"Cord" means the amount of wood that is contained in a space of 128 cubic feet when the wood is ranked and well stowed.
"Dockage" means the weight of impurities deducted by agreement between the seller and the buyer.
"Fractional parts of units of weight or measure" means like fractional parts of the value of such unit as prescribed or defined in this chapter, and all contracts concerning the sale of commodities and services shall be construed in accordance with this definition.
"Gross weight" means the total weight of the commodity, including any wrapper, and any other material or thing weighed or packed with such commodity, and including the vehicle or vessel containing the commodity.
"Inspector" means a state inspector who is employed and authorized to test, certify, and seal weights and measures.
"Livestock auction market" means any place of business or establishment where, during the regular course of business, cattle, sheep, swine, or other livestock are offered or exposed for sale, or sold, by weight, or by head, at auction, for compensation or profit.
"Net weight" means the net weight of a commodity, that is, the weight of the commodity exclusive of any wrapper, and any other material or thing weighed or packed with such commodity, and excluding the vehicle or vessel containing the commodity. Net weight is the difference between the gross weight and the tare weight.
"Point-of-sale system" means an electronic cash register capable of recovering stored information related to the sale price of individual retail items.
"Sealer" means an inspector of weights and measures of a city, a county, or a joint city-county jurisdiction.
"Sell" or "sale" includes barter and exchange.
"Tare weight" means the weight of any wrapper, and any other vehicle, vessel, material or thing that is weighed with, but not an actual part of, a commodity sold by weight; thus, tare weight may include, in the case of a packaged commodity, a wrapper, container, packaging material, binding material, preservative, or the like, or in the case of bulk commodity, a vehicle, box, can, jar, or the like.
"Ton" means a unit of 2,000 pounds avoirdupois weight.
"Weighmaster" means the person responsible for weighing livestock that will be offered for sale, based on his weight determination.
"Weight" means the net weight when used in connection with this chapter. Whenever any commodity is sold on the basis of weight, the net weight of the commodity shall be employed, and all contracts concerning commodities shall be so construed.
"Weights and measures" means all weights and measures of every kind, including instruments and devices for weighing and measuring, and any appliances and accessories associated with any or all such instruments and devices.
Code 1950, §§ 3-708.1, 59-71; 1962, c. 298; 1966, c. 702, § 3.1-919; 1991, c. 605; 1993, c. 604; 2008, c. 860 .
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Virginia?
Find a Virginia lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.