28-428.

Controlled premises, defined; inspection; procedure.

(1) Administrative inspections of controlled premises are authorized in accordance with the following provisions:

(a) For purposes of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act only, controlled premises shall mean: (i) Places where persons registered or exempted from registration requirements under the act are required to keep records; and (ii) places including factories, warehouses, establishments, and conveyances where persons registered or exempted from registration requirements under the act are permitted to hold, manufacture, compound, process, sell, deliver, or otherwise dispose of any controlled substance;

(b) When so authorized by an administrative inspection or an officer of the Division of Drug Control or an authorized agent of the department, upon presenting the warrant and appropriate credentials to the owner, operator, or agent in charge, shall have the right to enter controlled premises for the purpose of conducting an administrative inspection;

(c) When so authorized by an administrative inspection warrant, an officer of the Division of Drug Control or an authorized agent of the department shall have the right: (i) To inspect and copy records required by the act to be kept; (ii) to inspect, within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, controlled premises and all pertinent equipment, finished and unfinished material, containers, and labeling found therein, and, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (1)(e)(ii) of this section, all other things therein, including records, files, papers, processes, controls, and facilities, bearing on any violation of the act; and (iii) to inventory any stock of any controlled substance therein and obtain samples of any such substance;

(d) This section shall not be construed to prevent entries and administrative inspections including seizures of property without a warrant: (i) With the consent of the owner, operator, or agent in charge of the controlled premises; (ii) in situations presenting imminent danger to health or safety; (iii) in situations involving inspection of any conveyance when there is reasonable cause to believe that such conveyance contains substances possessed or carried in violation of the act; (iv) in any other exceptional or emergency circumstance when time or opportunity to apply for a warrant is lacking; and (v) in all other situations when a warrant is not constitutionally required; and

(e) Except when the owner, operator, or agent in charge of the controlled premises so consents in writing, no inspection authorized by this section shall extend to (i) financial data; (ii) sales data other than shipment data; or (iii) pricing data.

(2) For the purpose of the execution of administrative inspection warrants, an authorized agent of the department shall be deemed to be a peace officer.

(3) Issuance and execution of administrative inspection warrants for controlled premises shall be in accordance with the provisions of sections 29-830 to 29-835, except that inspection warrants for the purpose of the act shall be issued not only upon a showing that consent to entry for inspection purposes has been refused, but also in all cases when the judge of a court of record has been given reason to believe that consent would be refused if requested.