All livestock received at a livestock auction market shall be inspected by an inspector as soon as practicable. The inspector shall satisfy himself as to the ownership of the livestock and the purpose for which it has been received. Before the removal of the livestock, it shall be again inspected as to ownership by an inspector, and the inspector shall conduct an inspection of the records documenting the receipt, sale or purchase of the livestock and may conduct a visual inspection of the livestock prior to issuing a certificate of inspection. The inspector shall issue his certificate of inspection and deliver one copy to the purchaser or his agent, one copy to the inspector at designation and forward the original to the board for filing.

History: Laws 1937, ch. 59, § 5; 1941 ch. 38, § 1; 1941 Comp., § 49-1005; 1953 Comp., § 47-10-5; Laws 1999, ch. 282, § 75.

The 1999 amendment, effective July 1, 1999, substituted "livestock auction market" for "sales ring" and "an inspector" for "a duly accredited inspector of the board" in the first sentence; deleted "and that the operator has been duly authorized by the owner thereof to receive the same" following "the livestock" in the second sentence; substituted "inspector, and the inspector shall conduct an inspection of the records documenting the receipt, sale or purchase of the livestock and may conduct a visual inspection of the livestock prior to issuing a certificate of inspection" for "accredited inspector of the board, and" in the third sentence; substituted "one copy to the inspector at designation and forward the original to the board" for "one copy to the operator and forward one copy to the board" in the last sentence; deleted the former last two sentences, which stated that if the facts requisite for the issue of the inspection certificate are not furnished to the inspector, the livestock in question shall be held for a period of five days, at which time, the livestock shall be deemed to be and shall be dealt with as estray; and made stylistic changes throughout the section.

Board inspectors have mandatory legal duty to inspect all Indian owned livestock arriving at off-reservation sales rings as soon as practicable; the inspector may order the livestock held for inspection by the pueblo or tribal inspector only in those cases where such an inspection is necessary to enable the state inspector to satisfy himself as to the ownership of the livestock. 1980 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 80-24.