§ 119-32. Powers and authority of inspectors.
§ 119‑32. Powersand authority of inspectors.
The gasoline and oil inspectors shall have the right of access to thepremises and records of any place where petroleum products are stored for thepurpose of examination, inspection and/or drawing of samples, and saidinspectors are hereby vested with the authority and powers of peace and policeofficers in the enforcement of motor fuel tax and inspection laws throughoutthe State, including the authority to arrest, with or without warrants, andtake offenders before the several courts of the State for prosecution or otherproceedings, and seize or hold or deliver to the sheriff of the proper countyall motor or other vehicles and all containers used in transporting motor fuelsand/or other liquid petroleum products in violation of or without complyingwith the provisions of this Article or the rules, regulations or requirementsof the Commissioner of Agriculture and/or the Gasoline and Oil Inspection Boardand also all motor fuels contained therein. Said inspectors shall have powerand authority on the public highways or any other place to stop and detain forinspection and investigation any vehicle containing any motor fuel and/or otherliquid petroleum products in excess of 100 gallons or commonly used in thetransportation of such fuels and the driver or person in charge thereof, and torequire the production by such driver or person in charge of all records,documents and papers required by law to be carried and exhibited by persons incharge of vehicles engaged in transporting such fuels; and whenever saidinspectors shall find or see any person engaged in handling, selling, using, ortransporting any fuels in violation of any of the provisions of the motor fueltax or inspection laws of this State, or whenever any such person shall fail orrefuse to exhibit to said inspectors, upon demand therefor, any records,documents or papers required by law to be kept subject to inspection or to beexhibited by such person, said person shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor,and it shall be the duty of said inspectors to immediately arrest such violatorand take him before some proper peace officer of the county in which theoffense was committed and institute proper prosecution. (1937, c. 425, s. 16; 1949, c. 1167; 1993, c. 539, s.906; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)