§ 119-32 — Powers and authority of inspectors

The gasoline and oil inspectors shall have the right of access to the premises and records of any place where petroleum products are stored for the purpose of examination, inspection and/or drawing of samples, and said inspectors are hereby vested with the authority and powers of peace and police officers in the enforcement of motor fuel tax and inspection laws throughout the State, including the authority to arrest, with or without warrants, and take offenders before the several courts of the State for prosecution or other proceedings, and seize or hold or deliver to the sheriff of the proper county all motor or other vehicles and all containers used in transporting motor fuels and/or other liquid petroleum products in violation of or without complying with the provisions of this Article or the rules, regulations or requirements of the Commissioner of Agriculture and/or the Gasoline and Oil Inspection Board and also all motor fuels contained therein. Said inspectors shall have power and authority on the public highways or any other place to stop and detain for inspection and investigation any vehicle containing any motor fuel and/or other liquid petroleum products in excess of 100 gallons or commonly used in the transportation of such fuels and the driver or person in charge thereof, and to require 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 in charge of vehicles engaged in transporting such fuels; and whenever said inspectors shall find or see any person engaged in handling, selling, using, or transporting any fuels in violation of any of the provisions of the motor fuel tax or inspection laws of this State, or whenever any such person shall fail or refuse to exhibit to said inspectors, upon demand therefor, any records, documents or papers required by law to be kept subject to inspection or to be exhibited 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 violator and take him before some proper peace officer of the county in which the offense 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).)