DATCP: Blue means go: A DATCP sticker means you are getting what you paid for at the pump

Media Contact: Jerad Albracht, Senior Communications Specialist, 608-224-5007 or Bill Cosh, Communications Director, 608-224-5020

MADISON – Hitting the road this Memorial Day weekend? If so, you’ll likely need to fill up your tank before you start your journey. If you see a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) inspection sticker on the pump, you can be confident that our weights and measures inspectors have tested that unit and found it to be accurate.

DATCP checks gas pumps statewide to ensure that consumers are getting the appropriate amount of fuel for their money, and our annual inspection numbers show that Wisconsin businesses take that responsibility seriously. In 2017, DATCP inspectors tested 38,209 grades of fuel at pumps statewide. Consumers received either the accurate amount of fuel or extra fuel 99.8 percent of the time in these tests.

When checking fuel pumps, DATCP inspectors and city sealers test for accuracy, check for tampering and credit card skimmer devices, look for leaks, verify posted price signs, test fuel quality, and ensure that the customer displays are working and are accurate.

For even more protection in a fuel purchase, Wisconsin consumers can:

  • Check the price per gallon on the pump to ensure that it matches the street sign.

  • Verify that the price display reads zero before opening the nozzle.

  • Check the total price after filling up to ensure that it computed properly.

  • Tell the store management immediately if there is a problem at the pump. If you wish to file a weights and measures complaint with DATCP, send an e-mail to datcpweightsandmeasures@wi.govor call 608-224-4942.

So if you fill up in Wisconsin before you hit the highway this weekend, check for a DATCP inspection sticker or a city seal at the pump so you can focus on the road…not your wallet.

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