A person or his agent having in his charge livestock destined for transportation or to be driven beyond the limits of the district or out of this state shall make application to the proper inspector to inspect the livestock, stating in the application the time the livestock will be ready for inspection. An inspector shall inspect the livestock at a location to be designated by the board, make the record and give the certificate required by law to the owner of the livestock; provided that in the case of livestock transported out of this state, the place of inspection shall be at some stockyards or other convenient place near the proposed point of shipment of the livestock from the state. If the owner or person in charge of the livestock causes any unreasonable delay or loss of time to an inspector, the owner or person in charge of the livestock shall pay the expenses and salary of the inspector during the delay or loss of time.

History: Laws 1891, ch. 34, § 6; C.L. 1897, § 212; Code 1915, § 146; C.S. 1929, § 4-1432; 1941 Comp., § 49-929; 1953 Comp., § 47-9-29; Laws 1969, ch. 174, § 1; 1999, ch. 282, § 58.

Cross references. — For inspection fees, see 77-9-38 NMSA 1978.

For certificate necessary to transport cattle or carcasses outside of state, see 77-9-41 NMSA 1978.

For notice to inspector of desire to transport, see 77-9-43 NMSA 1978.

For when certificate should be refused, see 77-9-45 NMSA 1978.

The 1999 amendment, effective July 1, 1999, inserted "or his agent" and "the district or out of" in the first sentence, and made stylistic changes throughout the section.

This section applies only to inspection of brands and earmarks of cattle destined for transportation by rail or driven beyond the limits of this state. 1953 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 53-5842.

Board may charge owner or shipper for inspector's salary. — The cattle sanitary board (New Mexico livestock board), or its duly authorized agent, has the power to assess expenses and salary of its inspector against any owner or person in charge of cattle being shipped or driven without this state who shall cause any unreasonable delay or loss of time to such inspector in the performance of his duty as brand and earmark inspector of such cattle. 1953 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 53-5842.