SUBPART D. ENFORCEMENT, PAYMENT AND

COLLECTION PROCEDURES

§389. Weights and standards stationary scale police; enforcement procedure; payment and collection procedures; administrative review

            A. The weights and standards stationary scale police force and the state police shall have concurrent authority to enforce the provisions of R.S. 32:380 through 388.1 and 390.

            B.(1) Any weights and standards stationary scale police officer having reason to believe that any vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeds or is in violation of the provisions of R.S. 32:380 through 386 or 388.1 through 390, or the terms and conditions of a special permit issued under R.S. 32:387 or regulations of the department or secretary, adopted pursuant to this Part, is authorized to stop such vehicle or combination of vehicles and to inspect, measure, or weigh such vehicle, either by means of portable or stationary scales, or to require that such vehicle be driven to the nearest available location equipped with facilities to inspect, measure, or weigh such vehicle.

            (2) Any state policeman having reason to believe that any vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeds or is in violation of the provisions of R.S. 32:380 through 386 or 388.1 through 390, or the terms and conditions of a special permit issued under R.S. 32:387 or regulations of the department or secretary adopted pursuant to this Part is authorized to stop such vehicle or combination of vehicles and to inspect or measure such vehicle or to require that such vehicle be driven to the nearest available location equipped with facilities to inspect or measure such vehicle, provided that any state policeman having reason to believe that any vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeds or is in violation of the provisions of R.S. 32:386, any overweight special permit as provided in R.S. 32:387, or the department's regulations adopted pursuant thereto, may escort such vehicle to the nearest permanent or portable scale operated by the department's weights and standards police force, where a weights and standards police officer shall weigh such vehicle and if such vehicle is overweight, is in violation of an overweight special permit, or the department's or secretary's regulations adopted pursuant thereto, shall issue a violation ticket in accordance with Subsection C of this Section.

            C.(1) Whenever any carrier, common carrier, contract carrier, private carrier, transport vehicle, or driver is found in violation of any provision of this Chapter, the commissioner or secretary shall send the responsible party a "Notice of Violation, Proposed Finding and Proposed Civil Penalty", hereafter referred to as a "notice of violation", within thirty calendar days of the violation.

            (2)(a) Each notice of violation shall clearly indicate if a monetary penalty is assessed for the violation or if the notice of violation is only a warning. When a monetary penalty is assessed, each notice of violation shall be sent to the responsible party by certificate of mailing. Such notice of violation shall also contain notice that the responsible party shall have forty-five calendar days from the date of issuance of the notice of violation to either pay the monetary penalty for the violation or to request, in writing, an administrative hearing to review the notice of violation. When the amount of the civil penalty is negotiated between the commissioner or secretary and the responsible party, the commissioner or secretary shall send written notification to the responsible party of the amount of the negotiated civil penalty within thirty calendar days of the date of the final negotiation. Such payment shall be made by certified check, money order, or credit card. If made by credit card, the payment shall be deemed received by the commissioner or secretary when tendered and an approval code is obtained from the credit card company or credit card processor.

            (b) The commissioner or secretary shall adopt rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, subject to oversight by the House and Senate committees on transportation, highways and public works as are necessary regarding the administrative hearing, including but not limited to rules and regulations regarding notification and the procedure for requesting a hearing provided such rules shall not conflict with the provisions of R.S. 32:388.1.

            (3) If the commissioner or secretary fails to issue the notice of violation to the responsible party within thirty calendar days of the violation in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the violation shall be dismissed. However, the commissioner or secretary shall be granted an additional sixty calendar days to send the responsible party a notice of violation in accordance with the provisions of this Section if he experiences a data system failure caused by either an act of God or an intentional act of sabotage.

            (4) Any appeal of the findings of the administrative law judge shall be filed in a state district court with proper venue over the matter.

            D.(1) If a carrier is determined to be the responsible party for a notice of violation by the commissioner or secretary and, if the carrier fails to pay the assessed penalty within forty-five calendar days of issuance of the notice of violation, or in the case of an administrative hearing, the responsible party fails to pay the assessed fine within thirty calendar days of receiving a notice of final judgment from the administrative law judge, the outstanding penalty amount shall be posted on the commissioner's or secretary's official website. The outstanding penalty amount for such responsible party shall continue to appear on the website until all fines and fees are paid in full. The commissioner or secretary shall transmit the vehicle identification number of the offending vehicle for which the notice of violation was written to the office of motor vehicles. The office of motor vehicles shall not renew the registration of the offending vehicle until all fines and fees associated with the notice of violation have been paid in full. Within seven calendar days of receiving documentation from the responsible party that all fines and fees have been paid in full, the commissioner or secretary shall remove the posting of the notice of violation from his website. Additionally, upon payment of all fines and fees associated with the notice of violation, the office of motor vehicles shall immediately authorize renewal of the vehicle's registration. Such payment shall be made by certified check, money order, or credit card. If made by credit card, the payment shall be deemed received by the commissioner or secretary when tendered and an approval code is obtained from the credit card company or credit card processor.

            (2) If the driver of a motor vehicle is found to be the responsible party for a notice of violation by the commissioner or secretary, the driver shall be responsible for the payment of all fines and fees associated with issuance of the notice of violation. Such payment shall be made by certified check, money order, or credit card. If made by credit card, the payment shall be deemed received by the commissioner or secretary when tendered and an approval code is obtained from the credit card company or credit card processor. If the commissioner or secretary fails to receive payment within forty-five calendar days of issuance of the notice of violation, or in the case of an administrative hearing, the responsible party fails to pay the assessed penalty within thirty calendar days of receiving a notice of final judgment from the administrative law judge, the commissioner or secretary shall transmit the driver's license number to the office of motor vehicles. Upon receipt of the driver's license number, the office of motor vehicles shall immediately notify the driver, by first class mail, that his driver's license shall be suspended thirty calendar days after the date of mailing the notice unless all fines and fees associated with the notice of violation or final judgment from the administrative law judge are paid in full together with notice of the imposition of a fifty-dollar fee by the office of motor vehicles to cover its administrative costs. The driver's license shall remain suspended until all fines and fees associated with the notice of violation or final judgment from the administrative law judge and the fifty-dollar fee for the office of motor vehicles are paid in full. Upon payment of all fines and fees, the office of motor vehicles shall immediately authorize the reinstatement of the driver's license.

            (3) Motor carriers shall not be responsible for driver violations.

            E.(1) The commissioner or secretary and any law enforcement officer working for the commissioner or secretary shall be prohibited from seizing a motor vehicle or the registration license plate of a motor vehicle for failing to pay a fine for a notice of violation.

            (2) In the event a motor vehicle for which a notice of violation has been issued is subsequently sold, the new owner of such vehicle shall not be responsible for any outstanding fines or fees associated with a notice of violation. The new owner of the motor vehicle shall present proper documentation to the commissioner or secretary evidencing the lawful transfer of ownership.

            F. During a state of emergency declared by the governor, the commissioner or secretary shall be granted an additional sixty calendar days to send the responsible party a notice of violation in accordance with the provisions of this Section. Such extension of time shall terminate not later than sixty days from the date the state of emergency ends.

            G. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, any member of the armed forces, who is in uniform or presents an order for duty and who is operating a military vehicle in the line of duty in violation of any provision of R.S. 32:380 through 387, or any regulation adopted pursuant thereto, shall not be required to pay the penalty assessed, nor shall the member be required to surrender his Louisiana driver's license. However, the owner of the vehicle or the federal government shall pay the penalty within forty-five days.

            H. The failure of any vehicle or combination of vehicles to stop at a weigh facility may be excused if stopping the vehicle or combination of vehicles creates a serious traffic hazard. The commissioner or secretary shall promulgate rules under the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Subsection. These rules shall define "serious traffic hazard" and shall authorize the use of green traffic signal lights to allow vehicles to pass the weigh facility at times as vehicles have accumulated on the entrance ramp to the weigh facility to the extent that the vehicles present a traffic hazard. Rules previously adopted by the department shall remain in full force and effect until such time as the commissioner or secretary promulgates rules pursuant to this Subsection. These rules shall be subject to oversight by the House and Senate committees on transportation, highways and public works.

            Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977. Amended by Acts 1978, No. 35, §1, eff. May 31, 1978; Acts 1979, No. 463, §1; Acts 1995, No. 429, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1024, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1186, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1201, §1; Acts 2004, No. 287, §1; Acts 2006, No. 841, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2007; Acts 2010, No. 320, §1, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2021, No. 384, §§1, 5, eff. July 1, 2022.