How to measure laser class of LIDAR
You can't simply measure whether a device is in a particular laser class.

Because to be class 1, you have to not only operate the laser below a specified level (around 1 mW for visible and near IR wavelengths), you also have to design the laser so that under any foreseeable single-fault condition the power will remain below that level.

Demonstrating this requirement isn't done with a measurement, but either by destructive testing of several laser samples, or a complete knowledge of the laser and power supply design so that the likely failure modes and their consequences can be analyzed.


  I thought it could be a good idea not to trust this Class I rating at face value, but to double-check the emission intensity with some equipment. ... Can this measuring be done and if so with what equipment? Does it make sense to do it?


You can measure the laser power with an appropriate optical power meter. These are available from several companies. The exact model you should get depends on the wavelength of your laser and the diameter of the beam.

Expect the cost for an off-the-shelf instrument to be in the range of $500 - $5000.