2005 Washington Revised Code RCW 82.38.260: Administration and enforcement.

The department shall enforce the provisions of this chapter, and may prescribe, adopt, and enforce reasonable rules and regulations relating to the administration and enforcement thereof. The Washington state patrol and its officers shall aid the department in the enforcement of this chapter, and, for this purpose, are declared to be peace officers, and given police power and authority throughout the state to arrest on sight any person known to have committed a violation of the provisions of this chapter.

     The department or its authorized representative is hereby empowered to examine the books, papers, records and equipment of any licensee or any person dealing in, transporting, or storing special fuel as defined in this chapter and to investigate the character of the disposition which any person makes of such special fuel in order to ascertain and determine whether all taxes due hereunder are being properly reported and paid. The fact that such books, papers, records and equipment are not maintained in this state at the time of demand shall not cause the department to lose any right of such examination under this chapter when and where such records become available.

     The department or its authorized representative is further empowered to investigate the disposition of special fuel by any person where the department has reason to believe that untaxed special fuel has been diverted to a use subject to the taxes imposed by this chapter without said taxes being paid in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

     For the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter it shall be presumed that all special fuel delivered to service stations as well as all special fuel otherwise received into storage and dispensing equipment designed to fuel motor vehicles is delivered into the fuel supply tanks of motor vehicles and consumed in the propulsion of motor vehicles on the highways of this state, unless the contrary is established by satisfactory evidence.

     The department shall, upon request from the officials to whom are entrusted the enforcement of the special fuel tax law of any other state, the District of Columbia, the United States, its territories and possessions, the provinces or the Dominion of Canada, forward to such officials any information which he or she may have relative to the receipt, storage, delivery, sale, use, or other disposition of special fuel by any licensee if the other state or states furnish like information to this state.

     Returns required by this chapter, exclusive of schedules, itemized statements and other supporting evidence annexed thereto, shall at all reasonable times be open to the public.

[1998 c 176 § 80; 1995 c 274 § 25; 1979 c 40 § 18; 1971 ex.s. c 175 § 27.]