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Board gives conceptual approval for point-of-sale scanning ordinance after inspections show frequent overcharges
Summary
Agriculture/Weights & Measures staff presented findings from 63 inspections showing frequent overcharges in scanned transactions and the board granted conceptual approval to draft a scanning (point-of-sale) consumer-protection ordinance with a small annual fee per scanner.
El Dorado County's sealer of weights and measures presented preliminary results from 63 price-verification inspections taken between November 2024 and February 2025, finding overcharges in about 42.9% of inspections and concluding that overcharges exceeded undercharges in net value. Staff requested conceptual approval to draft an ordinance to register and inspect point-of-sale scanners and to develop a fee schedule to support the program.
The presenter described the inspection methodology: random picks from store shelves scanned at registers and compared to shelf tags. When overcharges were discovered, staff required on-the-spot corrections before leaving the store. The presentation included summary statistics for overcharges (average overcharge rate and average percent overcharged) and noted that 20 California counties already have similar ordinances.
The board supported conceptual approval to proceed with drafting the ordinance and directed outreach to businesses and the public; an initial fee estimate mentioned in discussion was roughly $25 per scanner or tiered fees based on scanner counts to cover program costs.
What happens next: Staff will draft ordinance language, public outreach materials and a proposed fee schedule and return to the board for formal consideration.
