Excess WeightAmount of Fine
1 to 4,000 pounds 1 cent per overweight pound
4,001 to 8,000 pounds5 cents per overweight pound
8,001 to 12,000 pounds10 cents per overweight pound
12,001 to 16,000 pounds15 cents per overweight pound
16,001 to 20,000 pounds20 cents per overweight pound
20,001 to 40,000 pounds40 cents per overweight pound
40,001 pounds or more80 cents per overweight pound
(c) The fines specified in subsections (a) and (b) of this section are mandatory and may not be waived or reduced by any judicial officer.
(d) In the event any owner, lessee or borrower of a vehicle is charged with violating this section, the vehicle charged to have been overloaded shall be impounded by the arresting officer. The vehicle shall not be released to the alleged offender or the owner unless and until he or she either has: (1) Been acquitted of the charge; (2) been found guilty of the charge and paid any fine assessed under subsection (a) or (b) of this section; or (3) furnished cash or surety bond in at least double the amount of the fine which may be assessed the offender under subsection (a) or (b) of this section conditioned upon the payment of any fine and costs assessed for the violation. The offender is liable for any reasonable storage costs incurred in storing impounded vehicles: Provided, That if the owner of the vehicle is a resident of or has a principal place of business located in this state, and the vehicle has been duly licensed in the state, then the vehicle may not be impounded by the arresting officer who shall deliver to the operator a written notice of the violation; the place, date, and time of violation; the license number of the vehicle; the title number and name and address of the owner; the driver's name, address, and the number of his or her commercial driver's license; and the court, place, date and time for hearing, which shall be within ten days of the violation, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excluded. A copy of the notice shall be mailed to the owner of the vehicle within forty-eight hours. If the owner or his, her or its agent fails to appear at the designated place and time or, if convicted, fails to pay the fine and costs assessed for the violation, the court shall order the owner to post a bond or the impounding of the vehicle as provided in this section.
(e) Any shipper or receiver who directs or knowingly permits a commercial motor vehicle to be loaded in excess of registered weight, allowable weights for single axle or allowable weights for groups of two or more consecutive axles, is also guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine equal to that which may be imposed on the owner, lessee or borrower of a commercial motor vehicle under subsection (a) of this section.
(f) The penalties and fees specified in this section are in addition to any other liability that may be legally fixed against the owner, operator or other person charged with a weight violation.
§17C-17A-11. Effective date.
Criminal and administrative penalties imposed by this article take effect on the first day of July, two thousand three.

§17C-17A-12. Designating special coal resource transportation roads, highways and bridges.

The commissioner shall publish a directory, including supporting maps and other documents, of the interim coal resource transportation road system.
(c) By no later than the first day of January, two thousand four, the commissioner shall designate by order the coal resource transportation road system and shall publish a directory, including supporting maps and other documents, of that road system.
(d) The commissioner shall establish a process for periodic evaluation of the designations contained in the coal resource transportation road system in order to add to or delete from the road system certain additional sections of public highways: Provided, That the evaluations and modifications of the road system shall be completed at a minimum on an annual basis.

§17C-17A-13. Authority of the commissioner of the division of highways relating to road and bridge repair on designated coal resource transportation roads.

(a) In addition to all other powers provided by law to the commissioner of highways, he or she may enter into agreements with motor vehicle operators or owners holding or applying for permits issued pursuant to this article, or with any other persons, for the purpose of replacing, repairing, widening, reconstructing, altering, improving or maintaining public highways used for coal resource transportation.
(b) All moneys collected by the commissioner shall be deposited in a special account created within the state road fund, known as the coal resource transportation fund, to be expended for the purposes set forth in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The commissioner may, upon application, allow the operation or movement of a vehicle or combination of vehicles for a distance not to exceed five miles, if the vehicles or combination of vehicles are of a size or weight or loading exceeding the maximum specified in this chapter or otherwise not in conformity with the provision of this chapter, whether the operation is continuous or not, provided the applicant agrees to compensate the division of highways for all damages or expenses incurred in connection with the operation.
§17C-17A-14. Exclusion of off-road vehicles.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of state law to the contrary, the provisions of this article shall not apply to coal hauling vehicles operating off-road or vehicles designed for off- road.
§17C-17A-15. Exclusion of interstate highways.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code to the contrary, the provisions of this article shall not apply to the interstate highways in this state.
§17C-17A-16. Spotting unlawful; penalties.
It is unlawful for any person to intentionally assist an owner or operator of a commercial motor vehicle engaged in the transportation of coal to avoid a road, safety or other lawful inspection or enforcement activity by any law or weight enforcement officer through electronic communications or other means intended to give the commercial vehicle driver knowledge of the location of the officers. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than one thousand dollars, and upon a second or subsequent conviction, fined not less than two thousand dollars.

ARTICLE 17B. TRANSFER OF CERTAIN JURISDICTION AND EMPLOYEES TO PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.

§17C-17B-1. Legislative findings and purposes.
(a) The Legislature finds that:
(1) Enforcement officers of the public service commission of West Virginia are, as part of their enforcement of chapters twenty- four and twenty-four-a of this code with respect to common and contract carriers by motor vehicle, other for-hire carriers, and private commercial carriers, currently inspecting for safety many of the same vehicles and loads that are inspected for size and weight by employees of the department of transportation;
(2) To effectuate the legislative findings and declarations set forth in section one, article one, chapter five-f of this code, the jurisdiction over the administration and enforcement of state statutes and rules relating to vehicular weight and the jurisdiction over the issuance of permits for excess vehicular weight should be transferred to the public service commission;
(3) To preserve continuity and to maximize efficiency, those employees of the department of transportation who are employed primarily in the performance of the governmental duties described in this section should be transferred to the public service commission;
(4) The enforcement of state statutes and rules relating to coal truck weight, including costs of inspections of the vehicles and loads, training of enforcement officers, program oversight, administrative proceedings, personal services, employee benefits and all other costs associated with enforcement matters, falls within the scope of maintenance of state roads and public highways as described in section fifty-two, article six of the constitution of this state and in section one, article three, chapter seventeen of this code; and
(5) Revenues in the state road fund, established pursuant to the provisions of section one, article three, chapter seventeen of this code shall be used to fund costs relating to enforcing the provisions of this article and article seventeen-a of this chapter.
(b) The purposes of this article are to transfer:
(1) Jurisdiction over the enforcement of state statutes and rules, including, but not limited to, the provisions of article seventeen-a of this chapter, relating to coal truck weight, from the department of transportation to the public service commission of West Virginia;
(2) Jurisdiction over the issuance of permits for excess vehicular weight under section eleven, article seventeen, of this chapter, from the department of transportation to the public service commission of West Virginia; and
(3) To the public service commission of West Virginia those employees of the department of transportation whose primary governmental duties include the administration and enforcement of statutes and rules relating to vehicular weight.

§17C-17B-2. Transfer of jurisdiction over vehicle weight enforcement and excess weight permit issuances to public service commission.

(a) Effective the first day of July, two thousand three, the jurisdiction over the enforcement of state statutes and rules, including, but not limited to, applicable provisions of article seventeen of this chapter, relating to vehicular weight, shall be transferred from the department of transportation to the public service commission of West Virginia.
(b) Effective the first day of July, two thousand three, the jurisdiction over the issuance of permits for excess vehicular weight shall be transferred from the department of transportation to the public service commission of West Virginia.

§17C-17B-3. Transfer of certain employees from department of transportation to public service commission.

(a) Effective the first day of July, two thousand three, employees of the department of transportation whose primary governmental duties as of the thirtieth day of June, two thousand three, included the administration and enforcement of this code and rules promulgated under this code, relating to vehicular weight or the issuance of permits for excess vehicular weight shall be transferred from the department of transportation to the public service commission of West Virginia.
(b) Upon the transfer of employees as provided in subsection (a) of this section, the department of transportation shall pay to the public service commission the costs of personal services, employees benefits and other associated costs of the transferred employees. The funds necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section shall be transferred from the state road fund to the public service commission motor carrier fund.

§17C-17B-4. Costs of enforcement to be funded from revenues in state road fund.

(a) On and after the first day of July, two thousand three, the cost of enforcement of this code and rules promulgated under this code, relating to vehicular weight, including inspections of vehicles and loads, training of enforcement officers, administrative proceedings, personal services, employees benefits and all other costs associated with enforcement matters, shall be funded by revenues in the state road fund, established pursuant to the provisions of section one, article three, chapter seventeen of this code.
(b) The secretary of transportation and the treasurer shall take all actions necessary to implement the transfer of funding to effectuate the purposes of this article.
§17C-17B-5. Exceptions.
(a) Nothing in this article reduces or eliminates the authority of any police officer to enforce the provisions of article seventeen of this chapter.
(b) Nothing in this article reduces or eliminates the jurisdiction of the department of transportation to administer and enforce sections eleven-a, eleven-b, eleven-c, and twelve, article seventeen of this chapter.
(c) Nothing in this article expands, reduces, or eliminates any remedies otherwise available by law.
CHAPTER 17E. UNIFORM COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE ACT.
ARTICLE 1. COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE.
§17E-1-3. Definitions.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the following definitions apply to this article:
"Alcohol" means:
(a) Any substance containing any form of alcohol, including, but not limited to, ethanol, methanol, propanol and isopropanol;
(b) Beer, ale, port or stout and other similar fermented beverages (including sake or similar products) of any name or description containing one half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume, brewed or produced from malt, wholly or in part, or from any substitute therefor for malt;
(c) Distilled spirits or that substance known as ethyl alcohol, ethanol, or spirits of wine in any form (including all dilutions and mixtures thereof from whatever source or by whatever process produced); or
(d) Wine of not less than one half of one percent of alcohol by volume.
"Alcohol concentration" means:
(a) The number of grams of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of blood; or
(b) The number of grams of alcohol per two hundred ten liters of breath; or
(c) The number of grams of alcohol per sixty-seven milliliters of urine.
"Commercial driver license" means a license issued in accordance with the requirements of this article to an individual which authorizes the individual to drive a class of commercial motor vehicle.
"Commercial driver license information system" is the information system established pursuant to the federal commercial motor vehicle safety act to serve as a clearinghouse for locating information related to the licensing and identification of commercial motor vehicle drivers.
"Commercial driver instruction permit" means a permit issued pursuant to subsection (d), section nine of this article.
"Commercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle designed or used to transport passengers or property:
(a) If the vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating as determined by federal regulation;
(b) If the vehicle is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver; or
(c) If the vehicle is transporting hazardous materials and is required to be placarded in accordance with 49 C. F. R. part 172, subpart F.
"Commissioner" means the commissioner of motor vehicles of this state.
"Controlled substance" means any substance so classified under the provisions of chapter sixty-a of this code (uniform controlled substances act) and includes all substances listed on Schedules I through V, article two of said chapter sixty-a, as they may be are revised from time to time.
"Conviction" means the final judgment in a judicial or administrative proceeding or a verdict or finding of guilty, a plea of guilty, a plea of nolo contendere or a forfeiture of bond or collateral upon a charge of a disqualifying offense, as a result of proceedings upon any violation of the requirement of this article.
"Division" means the division of motor vehicles.
"Disqualification" means a prohibition against driving a commercial motor vehicle.
"Drive" means to drive, operate or be in physical control of a motor vehicle in any place open to the general public for purposes of vehicular traffic. For the purposes of sections twelve, thirteen and fourteen of this article, "drive" includes operation or physical control of a motor vehicle anywhere in this state.
"Driver" means any person who drives, operates or is in physical control of a commercial motor vehicle, in any place open to the general public for purposes of vehicular traffic, or who is required to hold a commercial driver license.
"Driver license" means a license issued by a state to an individual which authorizes the individual to drive a motor vehicle of a specific class.
"Employee" means a person who is employed by an employer to drive a commercial motor vehicle, including independent contractors. An employee who is self-employed as a commercial motor vehicle driver must shall comply with both the requirements of this article pertaining to both employees and employers.
"Employer" means any person, including the United States, a state, or a political subdivision of a state, who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle, or assigns a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
"Farm vehicle" includes a motor vehicle or combination vehicle registered to the farm owner or entity operating the farm and used exclusively in the transportation of agricultural or horticultural products, livestock, poultry and dairy products from the farm or orchard on which they are raised or produced to markets, processing plants, packing houses, canneries, railway shipping points and cold storage plants and in the transportation of agricultural or horticultural supplies and machinery to such the farms or orchards to be used thereon on the farms or orchards.
"Farmer" includes an owner, tenant, lessee, occupant or person in control of the premises used substantially for agricultural or horticultural pursuits, who is at least eighteen years of age with two years licensed driving experience.
"Farmer vehicle driver" means the person employed and designated by the "farmer" to drive a "farm vehicle" as long as driving is not his or her sole or principal function on the farm, who is at least eighteen years of age with two years licensed driving experience.
"Gross combination weight rating (GCWR)" means the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a combination (articulated) vehicle. In the absence of a value specified by the manufacturer, GCWR will be determined by adding the GVWR of the power unit and the total weight of the towed unit and any load thereon.
"Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)" means the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle. In the absence of a value specified by the manufacturer the GVWR will be determined by the total weight of the vehicle and any load thereon.
"Hazardous materials" has the meaning as that found in the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (§ 49 U.S.C. 5101 et seq. (1998)).
"Motor vehicle" means every vehicle which is self-propelled, and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails.
"Out-of-service order" means a temporary prohibition against driving a commercial motor vehicle as a result of a determination by a federal agency or the public service commission, pursuant to chapter twenty-four-a of this code, that: (a) The continued use of a commercial motor vehicle may result in death, serious injury or severe personal injury; or (b) the continued actions by the driver of a commercial motor vehicle poses an imminent hazard to public safety.
"Violation of an out-of-service order" means: (a) The operation of a commercial motor vehicle during the period the driver was placed out of service; or (b) the operation of a commercial motor vehicle by a driver after the vehicle was placed out of service and before the required repairs are made.
"Serious traffic violation" means:
(a) Excessive speeding which is defined as fifteen miles per hour in excess of all posted limits;
(b) Reckless driving as defined in section three, article five, chapter seventeen-c of this code including erratic lane changes and following the vehicle ahead too closely;
(c) A violation of state or local law relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, arising in connection with a fatal traffic accident. Vehicle weight and vehicle defects are excluded as serious traffic violations, except as to violations committed by a special permittee on the coal resource transportation system; or
(d) Any other serious violations as may be determined by the U.S. United States Secretary of Transportation.
"State" means a state of the United States and the District of Columbia.
"Tank vehicle" means any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid or gaseous materials within a tank that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the chassis. Such These vehicles include, but are not limited to, cargo tanks and portable tanks, as defined in 49 C.F.R. Part 171 (1998). However, this definition does not include portable tanks having a rated capacity under one thousand gallons.
"At fault traffic accident" means for the purposes of waiving the road test, a determination, by the official filing the accident report, of fault as evidenced by an indication of contributing circumstances in the accident report.

§17E-1-7. Commercial driver's license required; disqualification for driving without valid license.

(a) On or after the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred ninetytwo, except Except when driving under a commercial driver's instruction permit accompanied by the holder of a commercial driver's license valid for the vehicle being driven, no person may drive a commercial motor vehicle unless the person holds a commercial driver's license and applicable endorsements valid for the vehicle they are he or she is driving.

(b) No person may drive a commercial motor vehicle while their his or her driving privilege is suspended, revoked, canceled, expired, subject to a disqualification, or in violation of an out- of-service order.

(c) Drivers A driver of a commercial motor vehicle must shall have a commercial driver's license in their his or her possession at all times while driving.
(d) The commissioner shall suspend for a period of ninety days the driving privileges of any person who is convicted of operating a commercial motor vehicle without holding a valid commercial driver's license and the applicable endorsements valid for the vehicle he or she is driving or for any conviction for operating a commercial motor vehicle while disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle. Any person not holding a commercial driver's license who is convicted of an offense that requires disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle shall also be disqualified from eligibility for a commercial driver's license for the same time periods as prescribed in federal law or rule regulation or this chapter for commercial driver's license holders.
CHAPTER 24A. COMMERCIAL MOTOR CARRIERS.
ARTICLE 1A. COMMERCIAL VEHICLE REGULATION.
§24A-1A-1. Regulation of commercial vehicle weights.
(a) Effective the first day of January, two thousand three, the commission has jurisdiction over the enforcement of this code and rules promulgated under this code, including, but not limited to, applicable provisions of articles seventeen and seventeen-a, chapter seventeen-c of this code, relating to vehicular weight.
(b) Effective the first day of January, two thousand three, the commission has jurisdiction over the issuance of permits for excess vehicular weight.
(c) Effective the first day of January, two thousand three, employees of the division of highways, department of transportation, whose primary governmental duties as of the thirtieth day of June, two thousand two, included the administration and enforcement of state statutes and rules relating to vehicular weight or the issuance of permits for excess vehicular weight shall be transferred from the division of highways and department of transportation to the commission.
(d) The commission shall implement and administer the provisions of this section, and of articles six, six-a and six-b of this chapter.

§24A-1A-2. Creation of advisory committee; purpose; members; terms.

(a) There is created the commercial motor vehicle weight and safety enforcement advisory committee, the purpose of which is to study the implementation of the commercial motor vehicle weight and safety enforcement program set forth in this article.
(b) The committee consists of the following members:
(1) One member who is an employee of the division of highways, to be appointed by the commissioner of highways;
(2) One member who is an employee of the public service commission, to be appointed by the chairman of the public service commission;
(3) One member who is a state police officer, to be appointed by the superintendent of the state police;
(4) One member who is an employee of the division of motor vehicles, to be appointed by the commissioner of motor vehicles;
(5) One member who is an employee of the development office, to be appointed by the governor;
(6) One member who is representative of the coal industry, to be appointed by the governor;
(7) One member of the senate, to be appointed by the president of the senate;
(8) One member of the house of delegates, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of delegates; and
(9) One citizen member, to be appointed by the governor.
(c) Members shall serve for terms of three years. No member may be appointed to serve more than two consecutive terms.
(d) The committee shall annually nominate from its members a chair, who shall hold office for one year.
(e) The committee shall hold at least four meetings each year, or more often as may, in the discretion of the chair, be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article.
(f) The public members of the committee may receive compensation for attendance at official meetings, not to exceed the amount paid to members of the Legislature for their interim duties as recommended by the citizens legislative compensation commission and authorized by law.
(g) Committee members may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred for each day or portion of a day engaged in the discharge of committee duties in a manner consistent with guidelines of the travel management office of the department of administration.
(h) On or before the first day of January, two thousand four and each subsequent year thereafter, the committee shall submit to the governor and to the Legislature a report of its recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the commercial vehicle weight and safety enforcement program.
(i) The commercial vehicle weight and safety enforcement advisory committee shall continue to exist until the first day of July, two thousand seven, pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter four of this code, unless sooner terminated, continued or reestablished pursuant to the provisions of that article.