Each person engaged in manufacturing, producing, or bottling in bottles or other containers, soda water, carbonated drinks, fruit juices or imitations thereof, flavored milk, and any preparations known as soft drinks shall not use any machine, machines, or apparatus for the filling or bottling of the same until such person shall have first applied, paid for, and obtained from the probate judge a license. The amount of the license tax for each machine shall be graded or proportioned as follows: On each machine bottling, per minute, less than 16 bottles, $40 state license tax and $40 county license tax; 16 and less than 30 bottles, $90 state license tax and $90 county license tax; 30 and less than 40 bottles, $140 state license tax and $140 county license tax; 40 and less than 60 bottles, $200 state license tax and $200 county license tax; and 60 and less than 75 bottles, $300 state license tax and $300 county license tax; 75 and less than 100 bottles, $325 state license tax and $325 county license tax; 100 and less than 150 bottles, $450 state license tax and $450 county license tax; 150 bottles and over, $500 state license tax and $500 county license tax. Where any person has within his bottling plant or place of manufacture more than one bottling machine, then such person shall pay the license herein specified upon every such bottling machine or apparatus whether in actual operation or not; provided, that such bottling machine or apparatus is in an operating condition.

The person applying for such license shall file an application, under oath, stating the name, make, model of his machine, name and address of manufacturer, whether it is low-pressure equipment or high-pressure equipment, or otherwise, contents, capacity of bottles used, and giving its bottling capacity.

“Capacity” shall be based on the number of six and one-half ounce bottles that may be bottled per minute as rated by the manufacturer, or the number of such bottles that are bottled per minute as determined by inspection and actual count, whichever may be greater. Where the machine or apparatus used in the filling and bottling of products covered by this section is also used in the filling and bottling of dairy products, the “capacity” of such machine or apparatus shall be based upon the percentage of time such machine or apparatus is used in the daily operation for the bottling of the products covered by this section. The percentage of time which the machine or apparatus is used for the bottling of products covered by this section shall be determined by inspection and actual count, and where the percentage of time used in the bottling of products covered in this section shall be 20 percent or less of the total operational time, the person so engaged in the bottling of products covered by this section shall pay 20 percent of the amount of the license as proportioned above based upon the number of six and one-half ounce bottles that may be bottled per minute as rated by the manufacturer. Any person using his bottling machinery for the bottling of dairy products and products covered by this section shall be taxed only upon that machine or machines which are used in the bottling of products covered by this section regardless of the number of machines which may be located within his bottling plant or place of manufacture. Bottlers paying the license tax hereunder where such business is engaged in bottling drinks exclusively shall be exempt from payment of transient dealer’s license levied under Section 40-12-172 and wholesale bottler’s license levied under Section 40-12-70.