321.477 Employees as peace officers — maximum age.

1. The department may designate by resolution certain of its employees upon each of whom there is conferred the authority of a peace officer to enforce all laws of the state including but not limited to the rules and regulations of the department. Employees designated as peace officers pursuant to this section shall have the same powers conferred by law on peace officers for the enforcement of all laws of this state and the apprehension of violators.

2. Employees designated as peace officers pursuant to this section who are assigned to the supervision of the highways of this state shall spend the preponderance of their time conducting enforcement activities that assure the safe and lawful movement and operation of commercial motor vehicles and vehicles transporting loads, including but not limited to the enforcement of motor vehicle laws relating to the operating authority, registration, size, weight, and load of motor vehicles and trailers, and registration of a motor carrier’s interstate transportation service with the department.

3. Employees designated as peace officers pursuant to this section shall not exercise the general powers of a peace officer within the limits of any city, except as follows:

a. When so ordered by the direction of the governor.

b. When request is made by the mayor of any city, with the approval of the director.

c. When request is made by the sheriff or county attorney of any county, with the approval of the director.

d. While in the pursuit of law violators or in investigating law violations.

e. While making any inspection provided by this chapter, or any additional inspection ordered by the director.

f. When engaged in the investigation and enforcement of laws relating to narcotic, counterfeit, stimulant, and depressant drugs.

4. The limitations specified in subsection 3 shall in no way be construed as a limitation on the power of employees designated as peace officers pursuant to this section when a public offense is being committed in their presence.

5. The department shall submit a report to the general assembly on or before December 1 of each year that details the nature and scope of enforcement activities conducted in the previous fiscal year by employees designated as peace officers pursuant to this section who are assigned to the supervision of the highways of this state. The report shall include a comparison of commercial and noncommercial motor vehicle enforcement activities conducted by such employees.

6. The maximum age for a person employed as a peace officer pursuant to this section is sixty-five years of age.

[C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §321.477]

98 Acts, ch 1183, §110; 2017 Acts, ch 149, §3, 5

Referred to in §20.3, 97B.49B, 321.480, 321.481, 801.4

For future repeal of this section, effective July 1, 2019, see 2017 Acts, ch 149, §4;

2018 Acts, ch 1170, §3, 4