Card-skimmer requirements vary by state. These are the ones we have verified.
There is no single national rule for skimmers at the pump or the counter. Some states impose security measures on the operator, some impose a reporting duty, and most impose nothing on the operator at all — the pressure there is the inspection schedule, not a statute. We only name states we have checked.
States with a documented requirement
Florida — security measures
Fla. Stat. § 525.07(10) requires at least two of eight listed measures on each fuel dispenser (since January 1, 2022). One of them is a documented daily wireless-skimmer inspection.
Texas — two reporting regimes
Motor-fuel dispensers report a skimmer to law enforcement and TDLR (ch. 607 / 16 TAC ch. 97); ATMs, POS terminals, and kiosks report to law enforcement and the FCIC (ch. 607A / 16 TAC ch. 63). Both within 24 hours. Motor-fuel dispensers also need at least two physical security measures.
California — a service-agency duty
California puts the 24-hour skimmer-reporting duty on the registered service agency or agent, not the operator (Bus. & Prof. Code § 12532(i)): report an altered device to the county sealer, and surrender it to the county sealer or local law enforcement. Separately, California adopts NIST Handbook 44 UR.4.2 by reference (4 CCR §§ 4000–4002) — an independent merchant measures duty.
Michigan — a measure list SkimGuard isn't on
Mich. Comp. Laws § 290.628f (added by 2017 PA 168, amended by 2022 PA 273) requires at least one of a short, closed list of anti-tampering measures on a card-capable fuel dispenser — a disable-on-open system, encryption at the card reader, a unique lock replacing the manufacturer's universal one, or another measure the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development approves; pressure-sensitive tape alone no longer qualifies. SkimGuard is not a listed measure and does not help you meet that requirement. Michigan names no state skimmer-reporting office or deadline — on finding a skimmer, disabling the dispenser, preserving it, and notifying law enforcement are prudent steps, and SkimGuard prepares that record. Separately, Michigan adopts NIST Handbook 44 UR.4.2 through MCL 290.628c(5) (Handbook 44 2023 edition) — an independent measures standard with no fixed count, whose adequacy is the weights-and-measures authority's determination, not ours; SkimGuard holds no UR.4.2 approval.
States with no operator mandate we found — the argument is the inspection interval
In most states the operator is under no skimmer statute. Enforcement runs through the state's weights-and-measures inspectors — and their inspection interval is the whole point. A skimmer goes in during a single visit; an interval measured in months or years is not a detection strategy. That is a statement about time, and it needs no statute behind it.
Georgia
The Georgia Department of Agriculture inspects fuel stations on a normal cycle of roughly every 24 to 30 months.
Virginia
VDACS targets about an 18-month cycle for fuel-device inspection, in practice averaging around two years — down from about 36 months in 2015.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture inspects fuel dispensers at least annually across most of the state; 13 counties run their own weights-and-measures programs.
Ohio — Montgomery County
Montgomery County inspects each fuel station at least once a year.
Arizona
The Arizona Weights and Measures Services Division checks for skimmers during any fuel-related inspection, and the department states plainly that stations are not required to install security tamper seals.
Between visits that far apart, the fastest thing at a pump or a counter is a check you run yourself. That is what the free SkimGuard app is for a driver, and what the inspection logbook is for an operator.
Questions
Which states have a skimmer law for gas stations?
Requirements vary and we name only the ones we have verified. Florida requires at least two security measures per dispenser (§ 525.07). Texas requires reporting within 24 hours — to TDLR for motor-fuel dispensers, to the FCIC for ATMs, POS terminals, and kiosks — and at least two security measures on motor-fuel dispensers.
If my state isn't listed, is there no law?
No. Our list covers only states we have verified; not appearing here is not a statement that no requirement exists. Our research is not legal advice — confirm your state's rules with your agency or counsel.
Why does the inspection interval matter?
A skimmer is installed in a single visit, while state fuel-device inspections run every one to three years in most places. An interval measured in months or years is not a detection strategy, which is why a check you run yourself — a driver's scan, an operator's logged inspection — is the faster signal.