Each petroleum transporter shall register with the Comptroller before transporting motor fuel to or from a place in the State. An applicant for registration shall submit to the Comptroller an application on the form that the Comptroller requires. The Comptroller shall register and issue a letter of registration to each applicant that meets the requirements of this subtitle. A petroleum transporter shall notify the Comptroller of each change in registration information within 5 days of the change.

Subject to the hearing provisions of § 10-404 of this subtitle, the Comptroller may deny registration to an applicant, reprimand a registrant, or suspend or revoke the registration of a petroleum transporter if the applicant or registrant: fraudulently or deceptively obtains or attempts to obtain the registration for the applicant or registrant or for another person; fraudulently or deceptively uses the registration; fails to submit a report required under § 10-410 of this subtitle; submits false information in a report required under § 10-410 of this subtitle; or violates this subtitle.

Except as otherwise provided in § 10-226 of the State Government Article, before the Comptroller takes any final action under this subtitle, the Comptroller shall give the person against whom the action is contemplated an opportunity for a hearing before the Comptroller. The Comptroller shall give notice and hold the hearing in accordance with Title 10, Subtitle 2 of the State Government Article. The Comptroller may administer oaths in connection with a proceeding under this section. If, after due notice, the person against whom the action is contemplated does not appear, nevertheless the Comptroller may hear and determine the matter.

A party to a proceeding before the Comptroller who is aggrieved by a final decision of the Comptroller in a contested case, as defined in § 10-202 of the State Government Article, may take an appeal as allowed in §§ 10-222 and 10-223 of the State Government Article.

Each vehicle used to transport motor fuel shall be identified on the tank part of the vehicle or another location acceptable to the Comptroller with the name of the petroleum transporter who is registered under this subtitle. The identification must be discernible at 50 feet from each side or from the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle is at rest.

An operator of a vehicle or vessel who gets motor fuel for transport from a marine terminal, pipeline tank farm, place of manufacture, refinery, or other type of bulk storage shall: have a copy of the loading ticket or manifest; and deliver a copy of the loading ticket or manifest to the buyer or consignee of the motor fuel at the time of delivery. A loading ticket or manifest shall accompany each conveyance that leaves a place of loading.

Each petroleum transporter: shall keep for inspection a manufacturer’s certificate of origin that shows the measured calibration by pots or compartments for each vehicle that meets the definition of a conveyance; or if such a certificate is unavailable, shall get and keep for inspection at the request of the Comptroller a certificate from a governmental unit or professional engineer.

A petroleum transporter shall label each vehicle in accordance with the hazardous materials regulations of the United States Department of Transportation.

Each petroleum transporter required by regulation to report to the Comptroller shall: report monthly on the form required by the Comptroller all motor fuel that the petroleum transporter imports into or exports from the State; keep for 2 years a record of each interstate and each intrastate shipment of motor fuel; on request, provide these records to the Comptroller; and report immediately to the Comptroller the loss of any motor fuel, unless the loss is due to: temperature correction; or a spill that is reported to another State unit.

A person who violates this subtitle is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction, is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 for each violation.

In this subtitle, “police officer” means: any uniformed police officer; or any civilian employee of the Department of State Police or of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force assigned to enforce this subtitle or any rule or regulation adopted under this subtitle, but only while acting under written authorization of the Secretary of State Police. Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of this subsection, any police officer shall have the authority to enforce this subtitle and any rule or regulation adopted under it. A civilian employee of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force shall have the authority stated in paragraph (1) of this subsection only if the individual is: acting under the immediate direction and control of a uniformed police officer; and certified by the Department of State Police to enforce this subtitle and any rule or regulation adopted under it.