This section makes several merchandise-registration and recordkeeping failures misdemeanors, and it provides a court defense for some display violations if valid documents are later produced.
(a)Class 1 Misdemeanors. —A person who does any of the following commits a Class 1 misdemeanor: (1)Fails to keep a record of new merchandise and fails to produce a record or an affidavit pursuant to G.S. 66-254. (2)Falsifies a record of new merchandise required by G.S. 66-254. (b)Class 2 Misdemeanors. —A person who does any of the following commits a Class 2 misdemeanor: (1)If the person is an itinerant merchant or a specialty market vendor, fails to display the certificate of registration as required by G.S. 66-252. (2)If the person is a specialty market operator, fails to maintain the daily registration list as required by G.S. 66-255. (c)Class 3 Misdemeanors. —A person who does any of the following commits a Class 3 misdemeanor: (1)If the person is a peddler or an itinerant merchant, fails to obtain the permission of the property owner as required by G.S. 66-251. (2)If the person is a peddler or a specialty market operator, fails to produce the certificate of registration as required by G.S. 66-252. (3)Fails to provide name, address, or identification upon request as required by G.S. 66-253 or provides false information in response to the request. (4)Knowingly gives false information when registering pursuant to G.S. 66-255. (d)Defense. —Whenever satisfactory evidence is presented in any court of the fact that permission to use property was not displayed as required by G.S. 66-251 or that a certificate of registration was not displayed or produced as required by G.S. 66-252, the person charged may not be found guilty of that violation if the person produces in court a valid permission or a valid certificate of registration, respectively, that had been issued prior to the time the person was charged. History: History.1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 14, s. 24; 1998-121, s. 8.