(1) Before operating any scale, textile meter, or cordage meter for commercial purposes, except those exempted in section 35-14-126, the owner shall first procure from the department a license for the operation of the device. All such licenses shall expire on the date established by the commissioner by rule.

(2) Any person desiring to obtain a license for the operation of a scale, textile meter, or cordage meter shall file an application with the department upon a form furnished by the commissioner, which shall contain such information as the commissioner may require. Every application for a license shall be accompanied by the proper fee. A person who fails to renew a license on or before the expiration date of the license shall pay a late fee, as established by the commission, in addition to the license fee.

(3) The commissioner shall test or cause to be tested for accuracy every scale, textile meter, or cordage meter for which the owner has been issued a license to operate at least once every twelve months or more often if necessary. Upon testing and approving a device for use, the commissioner shall affix an approval sticker to the device and may issue a device identification number. If the design, construction, or location of any scale, textile meter, or cordage meter is such as to require a testing procedure involving special equipment or accessories or an abnormal amount of labor, such equipment, accessories, and labor shall be supplied by the licensed owner of the scale, textile meter, or cordage meter as required by the commissioner. Nothing in this section shall prevent an inspector from testing a scale, textile meter, or cordage meter before the issuance of a license if the license fee is paid or is in the process of being paid.

(4) (a) (I) The commission shall establish annual license fees for the operation of commercial weighing and measuring devices based on the number, capacity, and types of devices.

(II) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2007, p. 1905, § 8, effective July 1, 2007.)

(a.5) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2007, p. 1905, § 8, effective July 1, 2007.)

(b) The capacity of a given scale shall be determined by the manufacturer's rated capacity.

(c) The annual license fee for belt conveyor and in-motion railroad scales shall be as determined by the commission.

(5) The commission shall determine the annual license fee for textile meters, cordage meters, moisture meters, grain protein analyzers, certified weighers, persons who sell or install weighing and measuring devices, and persons who service weighing and measuring devices.

(6) to (10) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2007, p. 1905, § 8, effective July 1, 2007.)

(11) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2009, (SB 09-113), ch. 88, p. 334, § 23, effective April 2, 2009.)

(12) The fees for inspection and testing pursuant to section 35-14-107 (2) shall be as determined by the commission.

(12.5) (a) For the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2007, and for each subsequent fiscal year, the commission shall establish fees associated with the licensing, testing, inspection, and regulation of scales with a capacity of one thousand pounds or less, cordage meters, and textile meters. Such fees shall cover the direct and indirect costs of administering and enforcing this article other than subsection (12) of this section, paragraph (b) of this subsection (12.5), and section 35-14-128 (2).

(b)

(I) Except as provided in subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (b), for each fiscal year, commencing on July 1, twenty-five percent of the direct and indirect costs associated with the licensing, testing, inspection, and regulation of certified weighers, scales with a capacity of greater than one thousand pounds, belt conveyers, in-motion railroad scales, moisture-testing devices, and grain protein analyzers must be funded from the general fund. The commission shall establish a fee schedule to cover any direct and indirect costs not funded from the general fund.

(II) Repealed.

(13) All license fees and testing fees collected by the department under this article shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit the same to the inspection and consumer services cash fund created in section 35-1-106.5.