(a) No person shall sell or deliver dyed diesel fuel or diesel fuel contaminated with dye when such person knows or has reason to know that the fuel will be used in a motor vehicle on the public highways.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 67-3-809

  • Code: includes the Tennessee Code and all amendments and revisions to the code and all additions and supplements to the code. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of revenue or the commissioner's designated subordinate official. See Tennessee Code 67-3-103
  • Diesel fuel: means any liquid that is commonly or commercially known or sold as a fuel that is suitable for use in a diesel-powered highway vehicle. See Tennessee Code 67-3-103
  • Dyed diesel fuel: means diesel fuel dyed under United States environmental protection agency rules for high sulfur diesel fuel, or dyed under internal revenue service rules for low sulphur fuel, or dyed pursuant to any other requirements subsequently set by the environmental protection agency or internal revenue service, including any invisible marker requirements. See Tennessee Code 67-3-103
  • Highway: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Motor vehicle: means a vehicle that is propelled by an internal combustion engine or motor and is designed to permit the vehicle's use on highways. See Tennessee Code 67-3-103
  • Person: means a natural person, partnership, firm, association, corporation, limited liability company, court appointed representative, state, political subdivision or any other entity, group, or syndicate. See Tennessee Code 67-3-103
  • State: means the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 67-3-103
(b) No person shall introduce dyed diesel fuel or diesel fuel contaminated with dye into the supply tank of any motor vehicle licensed for highway use.
(c) No person shall use dyed diesel fuel or diesel fuel contaminated with dye in a licensed motor vehicle or in a motor vehicle actually used on the public highways.
(d) The prohibitions contained in this section do not pertain to:

(1) Persons operating motor vehicles that have received fuel into their fuel tanks outside of this state in a jurisdiction that permits introduction of dyed diesel fuel of that color and type into the fuel supply tank of highway vehicles;
(2) Uses of dyed fuel on the highway that are lawful under the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C.), and regulations, including state and local government vehicles, and buses, unless otherwise prohibited by this chapter; and
(3) Agricultural vehicles used solely for the purpose of transferring a person’s harvested crops from the field to the person’s storage facility for the harvested crops; provided, that the distance traveled on the public highways does not exceed five (5) miles.
(e)

(1) The commissioner may assess a civil penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or ten dollars ($10.00) per gallon of dyed fuel involved, whichever is greater, against a person who violates this section. The capacity of the tank determines the amount of dyed fuel involved, unless otherwise shown by the violator. For subsequent violations, the penalty shall be multiplied by the total number of separate violations by that person.
(2) The commissioner may waive in whole or in part the civil penalty provided for in subdivision (e)(1), upon the commissioner’s determination that such penalty did not result from negligence or willful disregard of the law; provided, that such authority to waive the penalty shall be subject to § 67-1-803(b) and (e).
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