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169.85 WEIGHING; PENALTY.
    Subdivision 1. Driver to stop for weighing. (a) The driver of a vehicle that has been
lawfully stopped may be required by an officer to submit the vehicle and load to a weighing by
means of portable or stationary scales.
(b) In addition, the officer may require that the vehicle be driven to the nearest available
scales, but only if:
(1) the distance to the scales is no further than five miles, or if the distance from the point
where the vehicle is stopped to the vehicle's destination is not increased by more than ten miles
as a result of proceeding to the nearest available scales; and
(2) if the vehicle is a commercial motor vehicle, no more than two other commercial motor
vehicles are waiting to be inspected at the scale.
(c) Official traffic control devices as authorized by section 169.06 may be used to direct the
driver to the nearest scale.
(d) When a truck weight enforcement operation is conducted by means of portable or
stationary scales, signs giving notice of the operation must be posted within the highway
right-of-way and adjacent to the roadway within two miles of the operation. The driver of a truck
or combination of vehicles registered for or weighing in excess of 12,000 pounds shall proceed to
the scale site and submit the vehicle to weighing and inspection.
    Subd. 2. Unloading. (a) Upon weighing a vehicle and load, as provided in this section, an
officer may require the driver to stop the vehicle in a suitable place and remain standing until a
portion of the load is removed that is sufficient to reduce the gross weight of the vehicle to the
limit permitted under either section 168.013, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), or sections 169.822 to
169.829, whichever is the lesser violation, if any. A suitable place is a location where loading or
tampering with the load is not prohibited by federal, state, or local law, rule, or ordinance.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c), a driver may be required to unload a vehicle only if
the weighing officer determines that (1) on routes subject to the provisions of sections 169.822 to
169.829, the weight on an axle exceeds the lawful gross weight prescribed by sections 169.822 to
169.829, by 2,000 pounds or more, or the weight on a group of two or more consecutive axles
in cases where the distance between the centers of the first and last axles of the group under
consideration is ten feet or less exceeds the lawful gross weight prescribed by sections 169.822 to
169.829, by 4,000 pounds or more; or (2) on routes designated by the commissioner in section
169.832, subdivision 11, the overall weight of the vehicle or the weight on an axle or group of
consecutive axles exceeds the maximum lawful gross weights prescribed by sections 169.822 to
169.829; or (3) the weight is unlawful on an axle or group of consecutive axles on a road restricted
in accordance with section 169.87. Material unloaded must be cared for by the owner or driver of
the vehicle at the risk of the owner or driver.
(c) If the gross weight of the vehicle does not exceed the vehicle's registered gross weight
plus the weight allowance set forth in section 168.013, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), and plus, if
applicable, the weight allowance permitted under section 169.826, then the driver is not required
to unload under paragraph (b).
    Subd. 3. Misdemeanor. A driver of a vehicle who (1) fails or refuses to stop and submit
the vehicle and load to a weighing as required in this section, (2) fails or refuses, when directed
by an officer upon a weighing of the vehicle, to stop the vehicle and otherwise comply with the
provisions of this section, or (3) fails to comply with an official traffic control device as authorized
by section 169.06 that directs the driver to the nearest scale is guilty of a misdemeanor.
    Subd. 4. Arrest. A peace officer may arrest the driver of a motor vehicle if the peace officer
has probable cause to believe that the driver has operated the vehicle in violation of subdivision 3
within the past four hours.
    Subd. 5. Identification of driver. A person who owns or leases a motor vehicle that a peace
officer has probable cause to believe has been operated in violation of subdivision 3 must identify
the driver of the motor vehicle upon request of the peace officer. Violation of this subdivision is a
petty misdemeanor.
    Subd. 6. Officer defined. When used in this section, the word "officer" means a member of
the State Patrol, an employee of the Department of Public Safety described in section 299D.06,
or a peace officer or person under the officer's direction and control employed by a local unit of
government who is trained in weight enforcement by the Department of Public Safety.
History: (2720-277) 1937 c 464 s 127; 1951 c 212 s 1; 1953 c 719 s 1; 1975 c 68 s 3; 1977 c
248 s 9; 1981 c 321 s 6; 1983 c 198 s 11; 1996 c 455 art 3 s 21; 1997 c 159 art 2 s 30; 1997
c 230 s 3; 2002 c 364 s 14,15; 2002 c 371 art 3 s 5,6; 1Sp2003 c 19 art 2 s 36; 2004 c 228 art
1 s 76; 1Sp2005 c 1 art 4 s 37,38

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes