Marvin Mandel, Governor                        1545

tion of vehicles of a gross weight in excess of that for which regis-
tered by the commissioner or in excess of the limitations set forth
in this subtitle.

§ 14-111. Officers may weigh commercial motor vehicles and re-
quire removal of excess loads.

(a)    Any police officer having reason to believe the size or weight
of a commercial motor vehicle and load being operated on a highway
is unlawful, may require the driver to stop and submit to a measure-
ment or weighing, or both, of the vehicle by means of either portable
or stationary scales or measuring devices, in accordance with methods
of weighing established by rules and regulations compiled by experts
in the field of weights and measures and promulgated by the Maryland
State Police.

(b)    The driver of every commercial motor vehicle directed to do
so by any sign or by any police officer shall stop his vehicle and sub-
mit it to measurement, weighing or both, by means of either portable
or stationary scales or measuring devices. Operation of the vehicle
upon any highway of this State shall signify the consent of the
driver and of the owner of the vehicle to submit to the measurement
and weighing. The signs may be displayed only by officers and
civilian employees of the Department of Maryland State Police, as-
signed to enforce this subtitle.

(c)    Whenever upon measuring or weighing of a vehicle and load,
the vehicle is found to be in violation of the law, a police officer may
require the driver to remove the excess weight, if the overweight
does not exceed 5,000 pounds. If the overweight exceeds 5,000
pounds, the vehicle must be unloaded until the vehicle complies with
the applicable law, before the vehicle can be moved, and all material
or cargo so unloaded shall be cared for by the owner or operator of
such vehicle at the risk of the owner or operator; provided, however,
on first offense by a person operating a vehicle which has an in-
divisible load, the vehicle may be allowed to proceed after obtaining
a permit from the State Roads Commission, but on second or subse-
quent offense, the vehicle carrying the indivisible load must return
to the place of entry or origin in the State after obtaining a permit
from the State Roads Commission to do so; and provided, further,
that a vehicle violating the law and carrying as its full load perish-
able products shall for first offense only by the person operating the
vehicle be allowed to proceed to the destination, but for a second or
subsequent offense within any one calendar year, the products must
be unloaded before the vehicle can be moved. Vehicles bearing valid
registration plates issued by this State and transporting liquid milk,
in bulk from the producer, may receive a 5 per cent tolerance on the
applicable registration or statutory gross weight limit, but in no
event shall the registration or statutory gross weight limit including
the 5 per cent tolerance exceed a total of 73,280 pounds.

(d)    Any driver who fails to stop and submit to measurement or
weighing, as required by this section, or who fails to obey an order
to drive upon scales as directed by a police officer, shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor.

(e)    As used in this section, "police officer" means any UNI-
FORMED police officer, and any civilian employee of the Department
of Maryland State Police assigned to enforce this subtitle, but a civil-