Title 30 — Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-73

§1718 Inspections

Title 30 › Chapter CHAPTER 29— - OIL AND GAS ROYALTY MANAGEMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - FEDERAL ROYALTY MANAGEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT › § 1718

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows authorized, clearly identified representatives of the Secretary to stop and inspect motor vehicles when they have good reason to believe the vehicle is carrying oil from a lease site on Federal or Indian lands or oil meant for such a site. On a lease site, the representative may do the stop alone. Off the lease site, the representative may do the stop only while with a law enforcement officer, or a law enforcement officer may stop the vehicle alone. The check is to make sure the driver has the required oil paperwork. Authorized, clearly identified representatives may enter, cross, and inspect lease sites on Federal or Indian lands without advance notice. They can get immediate access to secured or locked facilities to check whether the lease follows the mineral leasing laws. The Secretary must set guidelines for what the inspections cover and how often they happen. The Secretary has the same right to enter or cross a lease site as the lessee or operator has by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §1718

Mineral Lands and Mining — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)On any lease site on Federal or Indian lands, any authorized and properly identified representative of the Secretary may stop and inspect any motor vehicle that he has probable cause to believe is carrying oil from a lease site on Federal or Indian lands or allocated to such a lease site, for the purpose of determining whether the driver of such vehicle has documentation related to such oil as required by law.

(2)Any authorized and properly identified representative of the Secretary, accompanied by any appropriate law enforcement officer, or an appropriate law enforcement officer alone, may stop and inspect any motor vehicle which is not on a lease site if he has probable cause to believe the vehicle is carrying oil from a lease site on Federal or Indian lands or allocated to such a lease site. Such inspection shall be for the purpose of determining whether the driver of such vehicle has the documentation required by law.

(b)Authorized and properly identified representatives of the Secretary may without advance notice, enter upon, travel across and inspect lease sites on Federal or Indian lands and may obtain from the operator immediate access to secured facilities on such lease sites, for the purpose of making any inspection or investigation for determining whether there is compliance with the requirements of the mineral leasing laws and this chapter. The Secretary shall develop guidelines setting forth the coverage and the frequency of such inspections.

(c)For the purpose of making any inspection or investigation under this chapter, the Secretary shall have the same right to enter upon or travel across any lease site as the lessee or operator has acquired by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 1718

Title 30 — Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73