3-489. Requests for inspection by unlicensed or unregistered persons; fees

A. A person who is not licensed under article 2 of this chapter or this article and who requests inspection of citrus, fruit, vegetables or nuts shall pay a fee to the citrus, fruit and vegetable trust fund. The associate director shall set the amount of the fee by rule and shall assess and collect the fee for inspection service performed by the associate director or the  associate director's employees.  The fee shall be an amount reasonably necessary to cover the costs of inspection and processing of the necessary documentation.  Before setting the fee, the associate director shall consult with the citrus, fruit and vegetable advisory council.

B. The fee is due and payable on completing the inspection. If the fee is not paid, the associate director may refuse to perform any further inspection services.

C. The associate director may prescribe a different scale of fees for different locations and different commodities based on the amount of time necessary to inspect the commodities. The associate director may assess a charge for traveling expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article 2.

D. This section does not apply to any inspection services performed pursuant to article 1 of this chapter.