Colorado § 35-14-131 - Civil penalties.

§ 35-14-131. Civil penalties.

(1) A person who violates any provision of this article or any rule adopted pursuant to this article is subject to a civil penalty, as determined by the commissioner or a court of competent jurisdiction. The maximum penalty shall not exceed seven hundred fifty dollars per violation; except that such penalty may be doubled if it is determined, after notice and an opportunity for hearing, that the person has violated the provision or rule for the second time. Each day the violation occurs shall constitute a separate violation.

(2) No civil penalty may be imposed by the commissioner unless the person charged is given notice and opportunity for a hearing pursuant to article 4 of title 24, C.R.S.

(3) If the commissioner is unable to collect such civil penalty or if a person fails to pay all or a set portion of the civil penalty as determined by the commissioner, the commissioner may bring suit to recover such amount plus costs and attorney fees by action in a court of competent jurisdiction.

(4) Before imposing a civil penalty, the commissioner or a court of competent jurisdiction may consider the effect of such penalty on the business.

(5) It is a violation for any person to:

(a) Sell, offer, expose for sale or hire, or have in the person's possession for the purpose of selling or hiring an incorrect weight or measure or any device or instrument used or calculated to falsify any weight or measure;

(b) Use, or possess for current use or for hire, in the buying or selling of any commodity or thing, in the computation of any basic charge or payment for services rendered on the basis of weight or measurement, or in the determination of weight or measurement when a charge is made for such determination, any weight or measure that is not approved by the commissioner or the commissioner's designated agent, unless specific written permission to use such weight or measure has been received from the commissioner;

(c) Dispose of any rejected or condemned weight or measure in a manner contrary to law or rule;

(d) [See editor's note following this section] Remove, break, or deface, contrary to law or rule, any tag, seal, or mark placed on any weight or measure pursuant to this article, except in the case of the commissioner or a service person, certified pursuant to section 35-14-123, performing duties provided for in this article or any rule adopted pursuant thereto;

(e) Sell, or offer or expose for sale, less than the quantity such person represents of any commodity, thing, or service;

(f) Take more than the quantity such person represents of any commodity, thing, or service when, as a buyer, such person furnishes the weight or measure by means of which the amount of the commodity, thing, or service is determined;

(g) Keep for the purpose of sale, advertise or offer or expose for sale, or sell any commodity, thing, or service in a condition or manner contrary to the requirements of this article;

(h) Use in retail trade, except in the preparation of packages put up in advance of sale and medical prescriptions, a weight or measure that is so positioned that its indications may not be accurately read and the weighing or measuring operation observed from some position that may reasonably be assumed by a customer; except that this paragraph (h) shall not apply to livestock scales used in any licensed yard selling livestock;

(i) Violate any provision of this article or any rule promulgated under this article for which a specific penalty has not been prescribed;

(j) [See editor's note following this section] Act as or represent oneself to be a certified weigher without being certified therefor, or for any certified weigher to: Falsely certify, represent, or record the weight of any load, or part of any load, or of any article whatsoever obtained from a commercial weighing and measuring device not exempted pursuant to section 35-14-126; falsely certify, represent, or record any net or gross weight required by this article to be in said certificate or record; refuse to weigh any article or thing that it is such person's duty to weigh; or refuse to state in any weight certificate anything required to be therein;

(k) Alter a weight certificate, use or attempt to use any such certificate for any load or part of a load or for articles or things other than for which the certificate is given, or, after weighing and before the delivery of any articles or things so weighed, alter or diminish the quantity thereof;

(l) Hinder or obstruct in any way the commissioner or the commissioner's authorized agent in the performance of the commissioner's official duties under this article;

(m) [See editor's note following this section] Act as or represent oneself to be a certified weighing or measuring device service provider without being so certified.

(6) A civil penalty collected under this section shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit it to the inspection and consumer services cash fund created in section 35-1-106.5. Penalties shall be determined by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee and may be collected by the department by action instituted in a court of competent jurisdiction for collection of such penalty. In determining the amount of any civil penalty to be assessed, the commissioner shall consider any relevant factors. The final decision of the commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall be subject to judicial review. If such an action is instituted for the collection of such penalty, the court may consider the appropriateness of the amount of the penalty if such issue is raised by the party against whom the penalty was assessed.

Source: L. 83: Entire article R&RE, p. 1356, § 1, effective July 1. L. 95: (1), (2)(b), (2)(d), (2)(e), (2)(f), (2)(j), (2)(l), (2)(m), and (3) amended, p. 899, § 12, effective July 1. L. 2003: (3) amended, p. 1731, § 13, effective May 14. L. 2005: (3) amended, p. 1271, § 12, effective July 1. L. 2007: (3) amended, p. 1907, § 10, effective July 1. L. 2009: Entire section amended, (SB 09-113), ch. 88, p. 337, § 28, effective April 2. L. 2025: (5)(a) amended, (HB 25-1084), ch. 24, p. 110, § 61, effective August 6.

Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 35-14-132 as it existed prior to 1983.

(2) Subsections (5)(d), (5)(j), and (5)(m) are repealed, effective September 1, 2028, pursuant to § 35-14-134.