01-001 C.M.R. ch. 308
SUMMARY: Roadside signs advertising the retail price of gasoline (and other automotive fuels) must display the price charged per gallon. Advertisement of the price charged per half-gallon is prohibited on roadside signs. Road-side signs may advertise the price charged per liter so long as the price charged per gallon also appears on such signs. Retail motor fuel dispensers must calculate and display sales either in total gallons and dollars or total liters and dollars.
A. Definitions. For purposes of this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings:
1. "Gasoline" includes gasoline, diesel fuel sold for automotive use, and gasohol.
2. A "roadside sign" is any type of sign or notice located on or near a gasoline filling station which advertises the price of gasoline being sold at that station and is visible to motorists passing by that station. B. Required Disclosure. In order to avoid consumer confusion and facilitate price comparison, all roadside signs must display the price charged per whole gallon. No roadside sign shall display the price charged per half-gallon. Dollar numerals shall be as large or larger than cent numerals. Fractional cent numerals shall be at least one-half (1/2) the height and one-half (1/2) the width of the cent numerals. There must be a clear interval between numerals. Incomplete roadside signs, including those with numerals missing or obscured, must be completed, corrected or the numerals removed. C. Additional Optional Disclosure on Metric Sales. In order to avoid consumer confusion and facilitate price comparison, gasoline filling stations selling gasoline by the liter may also display the price charged per liter on roadside signs. The word "liter," or an abbreviation thereof, must prominently appear in conjunction with the price displayed. The provisions of subsection B above also apply to such signs. on roadside signs displaying both a per-gallon and per-liter price, the numerals of the per-gallon price must be no less than one-half the height and one-half the width of the numerals of the per-liter price.
As of January 1, 1982 all retail motor fuel dispensers must compute and display any retail sale of gasoline as specified in either subsection A or subsection B below.
1. Calibrate the dispenser to pump gasoline by the gallon And to register the unit price in cents per gallon.
2. Compute and display the sale in whole gallons and total dollars.
1. Calibrate the dispenser to pump gasoline by the liter and to register the unit price in cents per liter.
2. Affix labels to the face of the pump using figures that are the same size as or larger than existing figures, as follows: (a) immediately beneath the unit price indication, add the term "cents per liter"; (b) immediately beneath "cents per liter" add the equivalent unit price per gallon; (c) immediately beneath the total volume display, add the term "liters." To illustrate:
| $ | 2 | 7 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
Total Sale
| 1 | 0 | 0/10 |
|---|---|---|
Liters
| 2 | 7 | 2/10 |
|---|---|---|
Cents per Liter
$1.03 PER GALLON
Both the owner and operator of a gasoline filling station shall be responsible for complying with the provisions of this chapter.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 10 M.R.S.A. §§ 2402(3)& (14), 2622
EFFECTIVE DATE: In order to allow the industry sufficient time to comply with the amendments of this chapter, the effective date shall be January 1, 1982 except for section I(B) which shall become effective July 10, 1981.
Original Chapter 308 was effective May 1, 1980.
EFFECTIVE DATE (ELECTRONIC CONVERSION):
May 4, 1996
CONVERTED TO MS WORD:
May 19, 2008
CORRECTIONS:
February, 2014 – agency names, formatting