(a) (1) The Department of Transportation may charge a fee for the issuance of permits pursuant to this article.

(2) The fee established by the Department of Transportation pursuant to this section shall be established by a regulation adopted pursuant to Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 11371) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and shall be calculated to produce a total estimated revenue that is not more than the estimated total cost to that department for administering this article.

(3) Special services necessitated by unusually large or heavy loads requiring engineering investigations, or other services, may be billed separately for each permit.

(4) The funds collected by the Department of Transportation pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited in the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund.

(b) (1) Local authorities may charge a fee for the issuance of permits pursuant to this article. However, the fee established by a local authority pursuant to this section shall be established by ordinance or resolution adopted after notice and hearing. The fee shall be calculated to produce a total estimated revenue that is not more than the estimated total cost incurred by the local authority in administering its authority under this article and shall not exceed the fee developed by the Department of Transportation pursuant to subdivision (a). The fee for the issuance of permits shall be developed in consultation with representatives of local government and the commercial trucking industry. Notice of the hearing shall be by publication as provided in Section 6064 of the Government Code. The hearing shall be held before the legislative body of the local authority. All objections shall be considered and interested parties shall be afforded an adequate opportunity to be heard in respect to their objections.

(2) Special services necessitated by unusually large or heavy loads requiring engineering investigations, escorts, tree trimming, or other services, excluding services necessary to provide the notification required under this section and services that are within the scope of the local authority’s ordinary duty to provide, shall be billed separately for each permit.

(3) For purposes of determining whether, under paragraph (2), special services are necessitated by an unusually large or heavy load, a local authority shall be governed by the criteria set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 1411.3 of Title 21 of the California Code of Regulations.

(c) Nothing in this section shall limit or restrict the application of Section 35782.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 242, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)