(1) Upon the request of any person or persons having an interest in a commodity stored in any public warehouse and upon payment of fifty dollars in advance by the person or persons, the department may cause the warehouse to be inspected and shall check the outstanding negotiable and nonnegotiable warehouse receipts, and scale weight tickets that have not been superseded by negotiable or nonnegotiable warehouse receipts, with the commodities on hand and shall report the amount of receipts and scale weight tickets outstanding and the amount of storage, if any. If the cost of the examination is more than fifty dollars, the person or persons having an interest in the commodity stored in the warehouse and requesting the examination, shall pay the additional cost to the department, unless a shortage is found to exist.

(2) A warehouse shall be maintained in a manner that will provide a reasonable means of ingress and egress to the various storage bins and compartments by those persons authorized to make inspections, and an adequate facility to complete the inspections shall be provided.

(3) The property, books, records, accounts, papers, and proceedings of every such warehouse operator shall at all reasonable times be subject to inspection by the department. The warehouse operator shall maintain adequate records and systems for the filing and accounting of warehouse receipts, canceled warehouse receipts, scale weight tickets, other documents, and transactions necessary or common to the warehouse industry. Canceled warehouse receipts, copies of scale weight tickets, and other copies of documents evidencing ownership or ownership liability shall be retained by the warehouse operator for a period of at least three years from the date of deposit.

(4) Any warehouse operator whose principal office or headquarters is located outside the state of Washington shall make available, if requested, during ordinary business hours, at any of their warehouses licensed in the state of Washington, all books, documents, and records for inspection.

(5) Any grain dealer whose principal office or headquarters is located outside the state of Washington shall make available, if requested, all books, documents, and records for inspection during ordinary business hours at any facility located in the state of Washington, or if no facility in the state of Washington, then at a Washington state department of agriculture office or other mutually acceptable place.

Severability—1983 c 305: See note following RCW 20.01.010.