§ 106-284.40.  Inspection fees and reports.

(a) An inspection fee at the rate of three cents (3¢) for each carton of 48 cans shall be paid on canned pet food distributed in this State by the person whose name appears on the label as the manufacturing distributor or guarantor subject to (b)(1), (2), (3), and (5) of this section.

(b) An inspection fee at the rate of twelve cents (12¢) per ton shall be paid on commercial feeds distributed in the State by the person whose name appears on the label of the commercial feed as the manufacturer, distributor or guarantor of the commercial feed, subject to the following:

(1) No fee shall be paid on a commercial feed if the payment has been made by a previous distributor.

(2) No fee shall be paid on customer-formula feeds if the inspection fee is paid on the commercial feeds which are used as ingredients therein.

(3) No fee shall be paid on commercial feeds which are used as ingredients or a base for the manufacture of commercial feeds which are registered, if the fee has already been paid. If the inspection fee has already been paid on such commercial feed, the amount paid shall be deducted from the gross amount due on the total feed produced.

(4) In the case of a commercial feed other than canned pet food which is distributed in the State only in packages of five pounds or less, an annual registration fee of forty dollars ($40.00) shall be paid in lieu of the inspection fee specified above.

(5) The minimum inspection fee shall be ten dollars ($10.00) per quarter unless no feed was sold in the State during the quarter.

(6) Manufacturers of commercial feeds may appear before the Board, and after finding there exists a contract feeder relationship between a manufacturer of commercial feeds and an independent contractor, the Board may issue annual numbered permits exempting that manufacturer of commercial feed from paying the inspection fee assessed by the provisions of this law for that feed delivered to the contract feeder. The manufacturer of ingredients who sells such ingredients to manufacturers of commercial feeds under this subdivision shall have in his possession the exemption number of the permit referred to in G.S. 106-284.34(b) and/or the permit issued by the Board under this subdivision before the supplier may be relieved of the responsibility for payment of the inspection fee. The holder of a valid contract feeder exemption permit shall be exempt from paying the inspection fee on all ingredients purchased for its own use, provided that at least one-half of the ingredients purchased in the previous calendar year were used in feed delivered to contract feeders.

The holder of said permit may voluntarily return said permit to the Commissioner for cancellation at which time said holder may not apply for or receive another exemption permit under this subdivision for a period of 12 months. The exemption permits under this subdivision shall be renewable automatically every year by the Board without additional findings of fact unless it is brought to the Board's attention by the Commissioner or his duly designated officer or employee that there no longer exists the relationship of a contract feeder between the manufacturer of commercial feeds and an independent contractor. In the event the Commissioner or his duly designated officer or employee notifies the Board when the permit is to be automatically renewed or anytime the permit is in effect, that there no longer exists a contract feeder relationship for the permit holder, the Board shall determine the veracity of the notification and revoke said permit if the facts are found to be true by the Board.

Commercial feeds exempt from inspection fees under this subdivision shall not be subject to sampling and analysis other than as may be necessary to determine compliance with good manufacturing practice regulations pertaining to medicated animal feed and medicated feed premixes established under G.S. 106-284.38(4) of this law.

(c) Each person who is liable for the payment of such fee shall:

(1) File, not later than the last day of January, April, July and October of each year, a quarterly statement setting forth the number of net tons of commercial feeds and/or cases of canned pet food distributed in this State during the preceding calendar quarter, and upon filing such statements shall pay the inspection fee at the rate stated in subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Inspection fees which are due and owing and have not been remitted to the Commissioner within 15 days following the due date shall have a penalty fee of ten percent (10%) (minimum ten dollars ($10.00)) added to the amount due when payment is finally made. The assessment of this penalty fee shall not prevent the Commissioner from taking other actions as provided in this Chapter.

(2) Keep such records as may be necessary or required by the Commissioner to indicate accurately the tonnage of commercial feed distributed in this State, and the Commissioner or the Commissioner's duly designated agent shall have the right to examine such records during normal business hours, to verify statements of tonnage. If the records are available electronically, the electronic records shall be made available to the Commissioner or the Commissioner's authorized representative. Failure to make an accurate statement of tonnage or to pay the inspection fee or comply as provided herein shall constitute sufficient cause for the cancellation of all registrations on file for the distributor. (1973, c. 771, s. 11; 1975, c. 900, s. 2; c. 961, s. 2; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 1043; 1989, c. 544, s. 6; 2005-276, s. 42.1(b); 2021-78, s. 8(c).)