A DCWP inspection checklist is the industry-specific list a New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection inspector works through when they visit your business, covering license display, pricing accuracy, receipts, refund signage, scales, and labeling. DCWP publishes the checklists on its website so you can download the one that matches your business and walk through it yourself before an inspector ever shows up.1Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklists Reading the checklist in advance is the single most effective way to avoid fines.
Get a Free Walkthrough Before Your First Real Inspection
DCWP runs a Visiting Inspector Program (VIP) that sends a senior inspector to your business for a free educational walkthrough. No violations are issued during a VIP visit. Instead, you receive a certificate listing any compliance issues the inspector spotted, giving you time to fix them before a real inspection.2NYC.gov. Visiting Inspector Program (VIP)
Any retail business with a physical location in New York City can request a VIP visit, even one that doesn’t hold a DCWP license. If you recently obtained a license, DCWP will reach out to schedule one automatically, but you can also request a visit online or by fax.2NYC.gov. Visiting Inspector Program (VIP) The program is underused. Using it before your first real inspection can save you hundreds of dollars in avoidable fines.
License Display
The first thing an inspector looks for is your DCWP license. Under NYC Administrative Code § 20-114(b), every licensee must conspicuously post their license on the premises and keep it accessible for inspection at all times.3NYC Administrative Code. NYC Administrative Code Title 20 Chapter 1 – License Enforcement If your business has no fixed location, you must show the license on request. A copy may be displayed in place of the original as long as the original is available on-site for anyone who asks.
Operating without a license carries serious penalties. A first offense for someone who has never held the required license can result in a fine between $25 and $500, up to 15 days in jail, or both, plus a civil penalty equal to twice the license fee or $100, whichever is greater. Prior offenses or operating on a suspended or revoked license escalate fines up to $2,000 plus 60 days.4New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. NYC Administrative Code Title 20 – License Enforcement The commissioner can also impose $100 per day for each day you operate without a license.
Pricing and Item Labeling
Pricing accuracy is the most heavily inspected area. When an item scans at checkout, the price must match the lowest displayed item price, shelf price, sale price, or advertised price.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis Tax cannot be charged on nontaxable items. Inspectors test both by scanning products and checking receipts against posted prices.
NYC Administrative Code § 20-708.1 sets item-pricing rules for retail stores that sell food, paper products, detergents, non-prescription drugs, and health and beauty aids. Stores with annual gross sales of $2 million or more (or stores in a chain that meets that threshold) must either individually price-mark each item or maintain a specific ratio of price scanners available to customers at checkout.6American Legal Publishing. NYC Administrative Code 20-708.1 – Item Pricing Smaller independent stores below the $2 million mark still need either an item price or a shelf sign showing the price where the product is displayed.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis
Fines run up to $25 each for the first 20 pricing violations found during a single inspection and up to $50 for each violation after that, capped at $2,000. A first-time violation can be forgiven if you prove to DCWP within 30 days that you’ve corrected the problem, before any hearing begins.7The City of New York. Local Law 5 of 2017 That 30-day cure window matters because scanner-database errors tend to pile up fast.
Packaging, Perishables, and Advertised Items
For food retailers, every prepackaged product must display the product name, the manufacturer’s name and address, the weight or quantity, and an expiration or sell-by date. Perishable items specifically need the use-by or sell-by date on the top cover or main display panel.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis
Packaged meat must be in a container that is colorless or clear on at least one side, with ground meat as the exception. No colored lights or spotlights can be used on or above meat displays.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis
If you advertise a product in a circular, in-store sign, or other promotion, that item must actually be on the shelves. Running an ad for a sale item that’s out of stock is a violation inspectors actively check for.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis
Receipts and Register Display
You must provide a receipt for every purchase over $20 and for any purchase between $5 and $20 when the customer asks for one. Each receipt must include the date, the amount paid for each item, the total amount paid, a separate line for tax, and the store’s legal name and address.8American Legal Publishing. RCNY 5-32 – Documentation of Transactions For audio, photographic, or video equipment costing over $100, the receipt must also include the make and model number.
Your cash register display must face the customer so they can see prices as items are rung up.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis This is a common violation in stores where the register has been turned toward the clerk for convenience.
Separately, federal law under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act bars any business that accepts credit or debit cards from printing more than the last five digits of the card number or the card’s expiration date on an electronically printed receipt.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c – Requirements Relating to Information Contained in Consumer Reports Modern registers handle truncation automatically; older equipment may not.
Refund Policy Posting
Your refund and return policy must be posted at each cash register, at each point of sale, or at every customer entrance, and the sign must clearly state the terms.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis If no policy is posted at all, NYC’s Consumer Protection Law defaults in the customer’s favor and requires you to accept returns for a full refund within 20 days of purchase. Posting a clear policy that reflects your actual practices is the simplest way to avoid that default rule.
Scales and Weighing Devices
If you sell anything by weight, your scales get close attention. The DCWP supermarket and deli checklist covers nearly a dozen scale items. Scales must be of an approved type, annually inspected, and properly sealed. The weight display must be clearly visible to the customer, and the scale must be positioned so the inspector can access it for testing.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis
For prepackaged items sold by weight, the tare (the weight of the packaging) must be subtracted so customers aren’t paying for the container. Stores with scales for deli or bulk items must also provide a separate customer-use scale so shoppers can reweigh purchases, along with a sign identifying it as available for that purpose.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis
Operating an unsealed or uncertified scale can get the device ordered out of service on the spot. Under NYC Administrative Code § 20-574, violating weights-and-measures rules carries a civil penalty of up to $100 per violation, and criminal penalties can reach $250 per offense plus up to 10 days in jail.10NYC Administrative Code. NYC Administrative Code Title 20 Chapter 3 – Weights and Measures A single inspection can flag multiple scale issues at once.
Credit Card Surcharge Disclosure
If you charge customers more for paying by credit card, New York State General Business Law § 518 requires transparency before the transaction. You may pass along the actual processing fee the credit card company charges you, but customers must see the total price (including the surcharge) before they reach checkout.11Governor of New York. Governor Hochul Announces New Law to Clarify Disclosure of Credit Card Surcharges Goes Into Effect Sunday
Compliant options include displaying a single price that already includes the surcharge, showing both a cash price and a credit card price, or listing the higher credit card price and advertising a cash discount. What you cannot do is add a surprise line item at checkout labeled “convenience fee,” “service fee,” or “processing fee” without having disclosed the total price in advance.12New York Department of State. Credit Card Surcharge One Page Reference Guide Surcharges cannot apply to debit card purchases at all.
What Happens During the Inspection
A DCWP inspector enters your business, identifies themselves, and walks the premises using the industry-specific checklist. For a grocery store or bodega, that checklist covers roughly two dozen items spanning license display, pricing, labeling, scales, receipts, signage, and register visibility.5Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklist – Supermarkets, Bodegas, and Delis Other industries have their own checklists on the DCWP website.1Consumer and Worker Protection. Inspection Checklists
Inspectors scan items to compare register prices against shelf and item prices. They check scale seals, review receipts, verify that your license and refund policy are posted, and look at packaging and labeling. The inspector may request access to the test mode of your checkout system to verify pricing accuracy.7The City of New York. Local Law 5 of 2017 At the end of the visit, the inspector generates a report of findings.
If You Receive a Summons
When an inspector finds violations, you’ll receive a summons ordering you to appear at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH).13NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Resolve DCWP Issues The summons must state your name and address, a clear description of the alleged violation including date and location, the specific law or rule involved, and enough information for you to calculate the maximum possible penalty. You get at least 15 calendar days between service of the summons and your hearing date. Not showing up is treated as a waiver of your right to a hearing, and OATH issues a default decision against you.14American Legal Publishing. RCNY 6-08 – Proceedings Before the OATH Hearings Division
Settlement options are sometimes available to resolve the matter without a full hearing. For item-pricing violations specifically, first-time errors can be cured within 30 days to avoid penalties entirely.7The City of New York. Local Law 5 of 2017 Whatever the violation, fixing the underlying compliance issue is what keeps the same problem from compounding on your next inspection.