§ 47-14-111. Weighing vehicles - Compelling unloading - Certificates - Bills of sale - Proof of ownership - Impounding.

A.  Any officer of the Department of Public Safety, the Corporation Commission, any sheriff, or any salaried deputy sheriff is authorized to stop any vehicle upon any road or highway in order to weigh such vehicle by means of portable or stationary scales, or cause the same to be weighed by any official weigher, or upon any privately owned scales and may require that such vehicles be driven to the nearest or most convenient available scales for the purpose of weighing.  Any officer weighing a vehicle pursuant to this section by means of portable scales shall allow the driver of the vehicle to move the vehicle to the most level weighing area available within two (2) miles of the stop.  In the event that any axle weight or the gross weight of any such vehicle be found to exceed the maximum weight authorized by law, or by permit issued therefor, the officer may require, in the case of separable loads, the driver, operator or owner thereof to unload at the site such portion of the load as may be necessary to decrease the weight of such vehicle to the maximum weight authorized by law.  Provided, however, that if such load consists of livestock, perishable merchandise, or merchandise that may be destroyed by the weather, then the driver shall be permitted to proceed to the nearest practical unloading point in the direction of destination before discharging such excess cargo.  All material so unloaded shall be cared for by the owner or operator of such vehicle at the risk of such owner or operator.

B.  The operator of any truck or other vehicle transporting farm products for hire or other merchandise for hire shall have in his or her possession a certificate carrying the following information: name of the operator; driver license number; vehicle registration number; Corporation Commission permit number; and statement of owner authorizing transportation of the products by above named operator.  For the purposes of this section "certificate" includes electronic manifests and other similar documents that include all of the information required pursuant to this section.

Should the vehicle be loaded with livestock, the certificate shall include the number of animals, and should the livestock be the property of more than one person, a certificate signed by each owner carrying the above information including the number of animals owned by each owner shall be carried by the operator.  Should the operator be the owner of the merchandise or livestock, the merchandise or livestock having just been purchased, the operator shall have in his or her possession a bill of sale for such merchandise or livestock.  Should the operator be the owner of livestock or other farm products produced by the operator, the operator shall be required to show satisfactory identification and ownership of the vehicle.  Any officer as outlined in this chapter shall have the authority to stop any vehicle loaded with livestock, merchandise or other farm products and investigate as to the ownership of the merchandise, livestock or other farm products.  Should the operator of any vehicle be unable to establish to the satisfaction of the officer the ownership of the merchandise, livestock or other products, or shall not have the certificate as specified in this section for the transportation of such merchandise, livestock or other farm products, the merchandise, livestock or other farm products and the vehicle in which they are being transported shall be impounded by the officer and any expense as to the care of any livestock shall be the responsibility of the owner or operator of the vehicle, and any loss or damage of the merchandise, livestock or other farm products shall be the responsibility of the operator or owner, or both.

The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to a person who is transporting horses or livestock; provided, the person shall not have been hired to transport the horses or livestock.

Added by Laws 1961, p. 416, § 14-111, eff. Sept. 1, 1961.  Amended by Laws 2001, c. 309, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2001; Laws 2004, c. 522, § 7, eff. July 1, 2004; Laws 2010, c. 118, § 1, eff. July 1, 2010; Laws 2010, c. 363, § 1, emerg. eff. June 7, 2010; Laws 2011, c. 119, § 1; Laws 2012, c. 249, § 2, eff. July 1, 2012.