172B.5 Authority of law enforcement officers.

1. Investigation. A law enforcement officer may stop and detain a person, whether on or off a highway, who is transporting livestock for the purpose of obtaining compliance with section 172B.2, and the officer may request the presentation or execution of a transportation certificate. The officer may examine the livestock for identification, the vehicle for the purpose of obtaining the vehicle registration plate number, and the registration of the vehicle and the driver’s license of the driver or person detained. However, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to authorize any law enforcement officer to open or require the opening of the cargo compartment of any vehicle manufactured for use in carrying refrigerated cargo when both the cargo is actually under refrigeration at the time the vehicle is detained by the law enforcement officer, and the person operating the vehicle has in possession when stopped a valid transportation certificate or approved shipping document which was executed by the shipper and which identifies the cargo as processed livestock and otherwise complies with section 172B.3, subsection 2.

2. Execution of certificate. If the person transporting livestock does not possess a completed transportation certificate, or if in the opinion of the officer the form possessed is improper, the officer may provide the person with a blank standard form, and may request that the person execute the form, including the person’s signature. The person shall be permitted to view any documents in the person’s possession for the purpose of completing the form. Except as provided in section 172B.4, the officer shall retain a copy of the certificate and shall give the person a receipt for that certificate.

3. Detention. A law enforcement officer may detain a person transporting livestock for a reasonable period of time not to exceed thirty minutes for the purpose of verifying any information obtained by the officer.

4. Arrest. A detention for the purposes of subsections 1, 2, and 3 shall not constitute an arrest. If the law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that the person transporting livestock has committed a public offense, the officer may place the person under arrest. The officer may require the person to move the vehicle to a place determined by the officer, or the officer may make other provisions for the vehicle and the livestock, as the officer shall determine. If the owner of the livestock is not available, the officer is authorized to incur reasonable expense for the care of the livestock which expense shall be charged to and paid by the owner of the livestock.

[C77, 79, 81, §172B.5]

90 Acts, ch 1230, §3; 98 Acts, ch 1073, §9