§ 119-33 — Investigation and inspection of measuring equipment; devices calculated to falsify measures

(a) The gasoline and oil inspectors shall be required to investigate and inspect the equipment for measuring gasoline, kerosene, lubricating oil, and other liquid petroleum products. The inspectors shall be under the supervision of the Commissioner of Agriculture, and are hereby vested with the same power and authority now given by law to inspectors of weights and measures, in order to effectuate the provisions of this Article. The rules, regulations, specifications and tolerance limits as promulgated by the National Conference on Weights and Measures, and recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall be observed by said inspectors insofar as they apply to the inspection of equipment used in measuring gasoline, kerosene, lubricating oil and other petroleum products. Inspectors of weights and measures appointed and maintained by the various counties and cities of the State shall have the same power and authority given by this section to inspectors under the supervision of the Commissioner of Agriculture. In all cases where it is found, after inspection, that the measuring equipment used in connection with the distribution of such products is inaccurate, the inspector shall condemn and seize all incorrect devices which in his best judgment cannot be satisfactorily repaired, but measuring equipment, that in the judgment of the inspector may be repaired, shall be marked or tagged as "condemned for repairs" in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Agriculture. After notice in writing the owners or users of such measuring devices which have been condemned for repairs shall have the devices repaired and corrected within 10 days by a registered petroleum device technician, and neither the owners nor the users of the devices shall use or dispose of the measuring devices in any manner, but shall hold the devices at the disposal of the gasoline and oil inspector. The inspector shall confiscate and destroy all measuring devices which have been condemned for repairs and have not been repaired as required by this Article. The gasoline and oil inspectors shall officially seal all dispensing pumps or other dispensing devices found to be accurate on inspection. The finding, upon inspection at a later date, that any pump is inaccurate and the seal broken, shall constitute prima facie evidence of intent to defraud by giving inaccurate measure, and (i) the owner, (ii) the user, or (iii) both of them shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. Any person other than a registered petroleum device technician who removes or breaks any seal placed upon a measuring or dispensing device by any oil and gas inspector until the provisions of this section have been complied with shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. Any person, firm, or corporation who sells or has in his possession for the purpose of selling or using any measuring device to be used or calculated to be used to falsify any measure shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(b) The Gasoline and Oil Inspection Board may adopt rules to provide for the registration of petroleum device technicians. The rules may establish qualifications for registration and may also establish grounds for the suspension or revocation of registration. The annual fee for registration of a petroleum device technician shall be twenty dollars ($20.00). (1937, c. 425, s. 17; 1949, c. 1167; 1993, c. 539, s. 907; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 2013-344, s. 1.)