permittee. Section &in prescribingthe form .of ths.parmit,.specificallyprovides, among other things, as follows: *id) It shall state any conditions upon which.the permit is issued." hy the use~of ,theword "may" in the first section of~Article6701a the-Legislatureobviously intended the.grant of discretionaryauthority to -thenHighway Department inthe.issuance of such per- mits., Raving this discretionaryauthority, reason- .able..co~nditions may be impostid. Furthermore the Legislatures fin. prescribingthe form to be used in ~issuingsuch a .permit,specificallyprovided for the imposition of.condit.ions.initeissuance. .The..cond.itions which may ,be imposed must _ be,;reas.onable.and bear.+ direct.relationshipto the .~safet,y .of.the t.ravellingpnblicand permittee-andto .t.he, physical maintenance~of,the...hi.ghways to be 'trav-
Youare therefore advised in answer to yo.ur.fi&t question'that~reasonableconditions may _be.imposedin thenissuance of th,osepermit5 author- ..ized~ by-the.above statutes. The second question presented relates to :the.po'w.er .of.the..State to prosecute a permittee for .violationaf any condition.whichhas been imposed. It .iat.o.be~ observed..that. neither~the criminal stat- . ute -(Art...827a), nar the civil .statute(Art. 6701a), .-~~contain.any..penalty for..the~ violation by a permittee ..~.of-any. condition.which may be imposed. Article 3, V.P.C.,,is a positive declara- tion.by the Legislaturethat,.before an act or omis- sion const~itutesa-penal.offense,,: it-must be made so .by.thewrittenlaw .of'theState.. ,WilIiamsv. State, ,246 Tex. Cr. Rep.,~430.,176.S. W: (2d1 177 (1943). s ~ifany pro.se.cution ~.~The~rafore is..authorizedfor the .~violationof,the conditions imposed it must be under the,gene.ralpenal statutes...That-is, unless the per- mittee.maybe charged with operating an over-size, ...super.-heavy.. or over-width~vehicleupon the highway, no prosecutionandconviction may,.behad. In our opinion, once,~havingbeen granted .a special.permit,the.violat.ionof an imposed condi- tionwould not have the..sff.ect. of subjecting the ~per- mittee to prosecutionunder,.thegeneral penal stat- .~utes. Article~~,3.of the Penal Code prohibits the High- .~away.-Departmentfrom providingthat the violation of .any conditionimposed shall render the permit void Andythereby subject.theho~lder..ta. prosecutionfor operating witho.uta permit...,WilTiamsv. State,supra. You are accordingly advised that inasmuch _asthe_,statutedoe.s.notprov,idea penalty for the vi- ..,.olationof~a condition imposed in the issuance of ~.sucha.permitno prose.cutionmay .be,hadfor the vio- ~..lation thereof. However.~..in, view ,ofthe fact that ..the, power of~the Department..to.issue. such permits is discret.ionary.,thereremains-a.praspectivemeans of .._, enforcement.byr.efusingpermits t,o.flagrantviolators of..the.condit.ions, imposed, ~.~. :~.
SUMMARY" Y
The Texas.~HighwayDepartment may im- conditions in the issuance .pose..reasonable ..~ ~.,.of special permits.authorisingthe opera- ,_ .~..,tian of over-.sise.,.super-heavy and'over- . width vehicles. ..Art.827a, Sec. 2, V.P.C.; .,..A&. 67Gl.a., V..C,S. .But.inasmuchas no pen- ...alt.yis.provided.forbyestatute'for the .,.violationsof .such.condition.s,no prosecution .._. ..~ is.autho.rizedagainstthe permittee for a violation thereof. Art. 3, V.P.C.
Yours very truly, .- .ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
'By - &* -9 CEC/lg Charles E. Crensha#w Assistant
APPROVED: sew e IRSTASSISTAET ATTORNEY ,.. _ ~.._ ,GENERAL