§516. Vehicles improperly licensed; weighing, inspections, and investigations; purchase of proper license required; penalty

            A. The commissioner or the division of state police, weights and standards police officers of the Department of Transportation and Development or other proper legal authority, have the right and power at any time and place to investigate, in any lawful manner, and inspect, at any time and place, any vehicle, with respect to its registration, license, tax payment, or other manner or thing contemplated by or provided for in this Chapter. To that end the commissioner or secretary may select, appoint, or designate inspectors, acquire the necessary scales or other equipment incident to their functioning, and where necessary may cause the owner or driver of any vehicle to move the same or cause it to be moved, forthwith, to the nearest scales available in the direction of destination.

            B.(1) If upon weighing the vehicle it is found that it is improperly licensed, or if it is found that the certificate of registration issued for the vehicle is otherwise unlawful, the inspector or enforcement officer may impound the vehicle and may require the operator of the vehicle to purchase forthwith the proper license for and to properly register the vehicle.

            (2) Twenty-five percent of the annual price of the license or registration shall be added to the cost of purchasing the same as a penalty, which shall be in lieu of the penalties directed to be imposed by R.S. 47:508. There shall be credited against the price of this license or registration the price of the license or registration on the vehicle at the time of its unlawful operation. However, in lieu of impoundment and immediate purchase of license and registration, a Department of Transportation and Development stationary weights and standards scales police officer may issue a violation ticket in the amount of seventy-five dollars, in addition to any overweight penalties due as provided by R.S. 32:388, to any operator possessed of an improper Louisiana license and registration.

            (3) The violation ticket shall serve as a receipt for said license plate. The violation ticket shall notify the owner and operator in writing to appear within five days to purchase the proper license for and to properly register said vehicle or combination of vehicles, and to pay any penalty due. This violation ticket shall be considered as a temporary license plate for a period not to exceed five days.

            (4) In addition to any overweight penalties due as provided by R.S. 32:388, if the weight of the vehicle exceeds the manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating or the manufacturer's gross combined vehicle weight rating, a fine of one hundred dollars shall be paid, in addition to the seventy-five dollar penalty, in lieu of registering the vehicle at the higher weight. Payments for penalties shall be remitted to the Transportation Trust Fund.

            C. If upon inspecting a vehicle or combination of vehicles it is found that it has an expired Louisiana license and registration or that it has no license and registration, the inspector or enforcement officer may impound the vehicle and may require the operator of the vehicle to purchase forthwith a license for and to properly register the vehicle. Twenty-five per centum of the annual price of the license or registration shall be added to the cost of purchasing the same as a penalty, which shall be in lieu of the penalty directed to be imposed by R.S. 47:508. However, any operator who is lawfully possessed of a valid Louisiana driver's license, as provided in Subsection A of R.S. 32:411, in lieu of impoundment and immediate purchase of license and registration, may deposit said license with the enforcement officer, who shall issue said driver a violation ticket which shall serve as a receipt for the operator's license. The violation ticket shall notify the owner and driver in writing to appear within five days to purchase license and registration for said vehicle, pay any penalty due and secure the return of the operator's license. This violation ticket shall be considered as a temporary Louisiana driver's license.

            D. Whoever violates his promise to appear, purchase license plate and registration, and pay any penalty assessed under Subsections B and C of this Section shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than ninety days, or both, and the driver's license or license plate shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections for suspension, revocation, and cancellation.

            Amended by Acts 1978, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1978; Acts 2003, No. 1159, §1, eff. July 2, 2003; Acts 2010, No. 320, §4, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2021, No. 384, §§4, 5, eff. July 1, 2022.