SF 1733

1st Engrossment - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 06/14/2012 03:34pm

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; traffic regulations; amending certain regulation of motor
vehicle weight limits; limiting civil penalties; amending Minnesota Statutes
2010, sections 168.013, subdivision 3; 169.872, subdivision 1a.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 168.013, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Application; cancellation; excessive gross weight forbidden.

(a) The
applicant for all licenses based on gross weight shall state the unloaded weight of the
motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer and the maximum load the applicant proposes to carry
on it, the sum of which constitutes the gross weight upon which the license tax must be
paid. However, the declared gross weight upon which the tax is paid must not be less than
1-1/4 times the declared unloaded weight of the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer
to be registered, except recreational vehicles taxed under subdivision 1g, school buses
taxed under subdivision 18, and tow trucks or towing vehicles defined in section 169.011,
subdivision 83. The gross weight of a tow truck or towing vehicle is the actual weight
of the tow truck or towing vehicle fully equipped, but does not include the weight of a
wrecked or disabled vehicle towed or drawn by the tow truck or towing vehicle.

(b) The gross weight of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer must not exceed
the gross weight upon which the license tax has been paid by more than four percent or
1,000 pounds, whichever is greater; provided that, a vehicle transporting unfinished forest
products on a highway, other than a highway that is part of the system of interstate and
defense highways, unless a federal exemption is granted, in accordance with paragraph
(d)(3):

(1) shall not exceed its gross vehicle weight upon which the license tax has been
paid, or gross axle weight on any axle, by more than five percent and, notwithstanding
other law to the contrary, is not subject to any fee, fine, or other assessment or penalty for
exceeding a gross vehicle or axle weight by up to five percent; and

(2) between the dates set by the commissioner in accordance with section 169.826,
subdivision 1, is not subject to any provision of paragraph (d) or chapter 169 limiting
the gross axle weight of any individual axle unless the entire vehicle also exceeds its
gross vehicle weight plus its weight allowance allowed in clause (1) and plus any weight
allowance permitted under section 169.826, in which case the vehicle is subject to all
applicable penalties for excess weight violations.

(c) The gross weight of the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer for which the
license tax is paid must be indicated by a distinctive character on the license plate or
plates except as provided in subdivision 12 and the plate or plates must be kept clean
and clearly visible at all times.

(d) The owner, driver, or user of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, upon
conviction for transporting a gross weight in excess of the gross weight for which it was
registered or for operating a vehicle with an axle weight exceeding the maximum lawful
axle load weight, is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to increased registration or
reregistration according to the following schedule:

(1) Upon conviction for transporting a gross weight in excess of the gross weight
for which a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer is registered by more than the allowance
set forth in paragraph (b) but less than 25 percent, or for operating or using a motor
vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer with an axle weight exceeding the maximum lawful axle
load as provided in sections 169.822 to 169.829 by more than the allowance set forth in
paragraph (b) but less than 25 percent, the owner, driver, or user of the motor vehicle,
trailer, or semitrailer used to commit the violation, in addition to any penalty imposed for
the misdemeanor, shall apply to the registrar to increase the authorized gross weight to
be carried on the vehicle to a weight equal to or greater than the gross weight the owner,
driver, or user was convicted of carrying. The increase is computed for the balance of
the calendar year on the basis of 1/12 of the annual tax for each month remaining in the
calendar year beginning with the first day of the month in which the violation occurred.
If the additional registration tax computed upon that weight, plus the tax already paid,
amounts to more than the regular tax for the maximum gross weight permitted for the
vehicle under sections 169.822 to 169.829, that additional amount must nevertheless be
paid into the highway fund, but the additional tax thus paid does not authorize or permit
any person to operate the vehicle with a gross weight in excess of the maximum legal
weight as provided by sections 169.822 to 169.829. Unless the owner within 30 days
after a conviction applies to increase the authorized weight and pays the additional tax
as provided in this section, the registrar shall revoke the registration on the vehicle and
demand the return of the registration card and plates issued on that registration.

(2) Upon conviction of an owner, driver, or user of a motor vehicle, trailer, or
semitrailer for transporting a gross weight in excess of the gross weight for which the
motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer was registered by 25 percent or more or for operating
or using the vehicle or trailer with an axle weight exceeding the maximum lawful axle load
as provided in sections 169.822 to 169.829 by 25 percent or more, and in addition to any
penalty imposed for the misdemeanor, the registrar shall either (i) cancel the reciprocity
privileges on the vehicle involved if the vehicle is being operated under reciprocity
or (ii) if the vehicle is not being operated under reciprocity, cancel the certificate of
registration on the vehicle operated and demand the return of the registration certificate
and registration plates. The registrar may not cancel the registration or reciprocity
privileges for any vehicle found in violation of seasonal load restrictions imposed under
section 169.87 unless the axle weight exceeds the year-round weight limit for the highway
on which the violation occurred. The registrar may investigate any allegation of gross
weight violations and demand that the operator show cause why all future operating
privileges in the state should not be revoked unless the additional tax assessed is paid.

(3) Clause (1) does not apply to the first haul of unprocessed or raw farm products
or unfinished forest products, when the registered gross weight is not exceeded by more
than ten percent. For purposes of this clause, "first haul" means (i) the first, continuous
transportation of unprocessed or raw farm products from the place of production or
on-farm storage site to any other location within deleted text begin 50 deleted text end new text begin 100 new text end miles of the place of production or
on-farm storage site, or (ii) the continuous or noncontinuous transportation of unfinished
forest products from the place of production to the place of final processing or manufacture
located within 200 miles of the place of production.

(4) When the registration on a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer is revoked by the
registrar according to this section, the vehicle must not be operated on the highways of the
state until it is registered or reregistered, as the case may be, and new plates issued, and
the registration fee is the annual tax for the total gross weight of the vehicle at the time of
violation. The reregistration pursuant to this subdivision of any vehicle operating under
reciprocity agreements pursuant to section 168.181 or 168.187 must be at the full annual
registration fee without regard to the percentage of vehicle miles traveled in this state.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.872, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:

Subd. 1a.

Limit on civil penalties.

A civil penalty for excessive weight under
section 169.871 may be imposed based on a record of a shipment under this section only if
a state law enforcement officer or motor transportation representative new text begin : (1) new text end has inspected
and copied the record within 14 days of the date the shipment was received by the person
keeping the record new text begin ; and (2) has assessed the penalty within 60 days of the date the officer
or representative inspected and copied the record new text end .