Hon. D. C. Greer . Opinion ~5. VAj89 ,’ “,,,,..
State Highway Engine&
Texas Highway .Department Be:~ The authority of the
Austin, Texas ., Texas Highway Depart-
ment to impose condi-
tions in the Issuance
of special permtts for
the operation of over-
weight and .over-8ize
vehicles and the effect
I.. . .
of a violation of such
conditions.
‘.
..DearMr. ,Greer:
You have requested an opinion of the Attor-
nay General aato t~hele ality..ofthe imposition by
the Highway.Department.o! conditions in the issuance
of ,specialpermitsauthorizing the operation of super-
heavy or .over~slza~vehicles.over the highways of this
..~ have adviaedus .~that It is the practice of
State,,.~.You.
-. Dspartnent.to stamp.on the face ofteach special
.~the.
permit which.Ian iazued the .followingor similar condo-
.-’
.tions: ~., ~. .,
RFull dayli t moaement only, and then
&ky when .visibi lty .is good and highway
ffh
shoulders firm...~MO part of Load or equlp-
ment.to extend .overcenter of pavement, ex-
cept over ,nacrowztructureaor.short narrow
sectIons where traffic...shall be fla ed 300’
in front. at&rear..of ..load. This loa
3 shall
not follow another.ov.er-.#idth load closer ”
than lOGO..feet. Permit.. +ll become void
if any’of. above conditions are not complied
with.”
You have presented two questions in counec-
tion with the’;
above.facta.. T,hefirst rel+tes 40 the
authority of the IJepartmentto impose such condltlon8,
and.the second with the authority.ofthe State to .
prosecute a permittee who ,violates,anyof the coadi-
Don. D. C, Greer, Page 2 (V-789)
tions which the Department has imposed.
Section 2.of Article 827a, V.P.C., reads in
part as fcllowz:
"It shall be unlawful. .'. for any per-
son to drive .*.'
O O any vehicle or vehicles
of a-size or weight exceeding the limitations
stated Sn this Act... O or to transport there-
.,on any load~or.loadsexceedingthe.dimensions
_ or weight preScribed in this Act; provided
::'
'theDepartmentp acting directly or through
~ its agent or agents designated in each county
shall have Andyis hereby granted authority to
.~ grant permitsslimitedto period of ninety (90)
-days orless for the transportationover State
~.highwaysof.such overweight or oversize or
overlength commoditiesas cannot be reason:
LU ..ablydismantled.arfor the operation over
. State highways,of super-heavyand oversize
equipment for the transportationof such over-.
- - sizeor overwei~t~~.or.overlan~h commodities.
. as-cannot bereasonably.dismantled. . .e
_
Article 67Ola,.YdC.Set reads in part aa $01~
1,Si
Vet. 1. .&hen any person, firm or cor-
_~ _ .porat.ionshall.deziroto operate over a 1
stats highway super?heavy.or over-size equlp-
.ment.for thetransportation of such,commodi-
_ :tiea.as cannot-be reasonably dismantled,
where the.gross weight or weights exceeds
the limit allowedby law,to be transported
over a state highway the State Highway Depart-
ment map upon application,issuea permit
for tle
e operation of said equipmentwith
said commodities,.when said State Highway De-
. partment is of the opinion that the same may .,
be ~operatedwithout material damage to the
highway.~~0 ." (Emphasisis added throughout.)
Other sections of Article 67Gla provide for
the designationof agents,by the Highway Department
for theissuance of such permits, the form of appllca-
.tionto .hemade, and the posting of an indemnity bond
byethe permittee. Section &in prescribingthe form
.of ths.parmit,.specificallyprovides, among other
things, as follows:
*id) It shall state any conditions
upon which.the permit is issued."
hy the use~of ,theword "may" in the first
section of~Article6701a the-Legislatureobviously
intended the.grant of discretionaryauthority to
-thenHighway Department inthe.issuance of such per-
mits., Raving this discretionaryauthority, reason-
.able..co~nditions
may be impostid. Furthermore the
Legislatures fin.
prescribingthe form to be used in
~issuingsuch a .permit,specificallyprovided for the
imposition of.condit.ions.initeissuance.
.The..cond.itions
which may ,be imposed must
_ be,;reas.onable.and
bear.+ direct.relationshipto the
.~safet,y
.of.the t.ravellingpnblicand permittee-andto
.t.he,
physical maintenance~of,the...hi.ghways
to be 'trav-
Youare therefore advised in answer to
yo.ur.fi&t question‘that~reasonableconditions may
_be.imposedin thenissuance of th,osepermit5 author-
..ized~
by-the.above statutes.
The second question presented relates to
:the.po'w.er
.of.the..State
to prosecute a permittee for
.violationaf any condition.whichhas been imposed.
It .iat.o.be~
observed..that.
neither~the criminal stat-
. ute -(Art...827a),
nar the civil .statute(Art. 6701a),
.-~~contain.any..penalty
for..the~
violation by a permittee
..~.of-any.
condition.which may be imposed.
Article 3, V.P.C.,,is a positive declara-
tion.by the Legislaturethat,.before an act or omis-
sion const~itutesa-penal.offense,,:
it-must be made so
.by.thewrittenlaw .of'theState.. ,WilIiamsv. State,
,246 Tex. Cr. Rep.,~430.,176.S. W: (2d1 177 (1943).
s ~ifany pro.se.cution
~.~The~rafore is..authorizedfor the
.~violationof,the conditions imposed it must be under
the,gene.ralpenal statutes...That-is, unless the per-
mittee.maybe charged with operating an over-size,
...super.-heavy..
or over-width~vehicleupon the highway,
no prosecutionandconviction may,.behad.
In our opinion, once,~havingbeen granted
.a special.permit,the.violat.ionof an imposed condi-
tionwould not have the..sff.ect.
of subjecting the ~per-
mittee to prosecutionunder,.thegeneral penal stat-
.~utes. Article~~,3.of
the Penal Code prohibits the High-
.~away.-Departmentfrom providingthat the violation of
.any conditionimposed shall render the permit void
Andythereby subject.theho~lder..ta.
prosecutionfor
operating witho.uta permit...,WilTiamsv. State,supra.
You are accordingly advised that inasmuch
_asthe_,statutedoe.s.notprov,idea penalty for the vi-
..,.olationof~a condition imposed in the issuance of
~.sucha.permitno prose.cutionmay .be,hadfor the vio-
~..lation thereof. However.~..in,
view ,ofthe fact that
..the,
power of~the Department..to.issue.
such permits is
discret.ionary.,thereremains-a.praspectivemeans of
.._,
enforcement.byr.efusingpermits t,o.flagrantviolators
of..the.condit.ions,
imposed, ~.~. :~.
SUMMARY“
Y
The Texas.~HighwayDepartment may im-
conditions in the issuance
.pose..reasonable
..~ ~.,.of special permits.authorisingthe opera-
,_ .~..,tian of over-.sise.,.super-heavy
and'over-
. width vehicles. ..Art.827a, Sec. 2, V.P.C.;
.,..A&. 67Gl.a., V..C,S. .But.inasmuchas no pen-
...alt.yis.provided.forbyestatute'for the
.,.violationsof .such.condition.s,no prosecution
.._. ..~ is.autho.rizedagainstthe permittee for a
violation thereof. Art. 3, V.P.C.
Yours very truly,
.- .ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
'By - &* -9
CEC/lg Charles E. Crensha#w
Assistant
APPROVED:
sew
e IRSTASSISTAET ATTORNEY
,.. _ ~.._
,GENERAL