In this article and articles 2 and 5 of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. "Blending":

(a) Means the mixing of one or more products, regardless of the original character of the product blended, if the product obtained by the blending is capable of use or otherwise sold for use in the generation of power for the propulsion of a motor vehicle, aircraft or watercraft.

(b) Does not include blending that occurs in the process of refining by the original refiner of crude petroleum or the blending of products known as lubricating oil and greases.

2. "Bulk end user" means a person who receives into the person’s own storage facilities in transport truck lots motor fuel for the person’s own consumption.

3. "Bulk plant" means a motor fuel storage and distribution facility that is not a terminal and from which motor fuel may be removed at a rack.

4. "Bulk transfer" means any transfer of motor fuel from one location to another by pipeline tender or marine delivery within the bulk transfer terminal system.

5. "Bulk transfer terminal system" means the motor fuel distribution system consisting of refineries, pipelines, marine vessels and terminals. Motor fuel in a refinery, pipeline, vessel or terminal is in the bulk transfer terminal system. Motor fuel in the fuel supply tank of any engine, or in any tank car, rail car, trailer, truck or other equipment suitable for ground transportation, is not in the bulk transfer terminal system.

6. "Consumer" means the end purchaser of motor vehicle fuel for use on the highways in this state, the end purchaser of motor vehicle fuel for use in watercraft on waterways of this state or the end purchaser of aviation fuel for use in aircraft.

7. "Destination state" means the state, territory or foreign country to which motor fuel is directed for delivery into a storage facility, a receptacle, a container or a type of transportation equipment for the purpose of resale or use.

8. "Distributor" means a person who acquires motor fuel from a supplier or another distributor for subsequent sale or use and who may blend or import into or export from this state motor fuel in the original package or container or otherwise but excluding a person who imports motor fuel in the fuel tank of a motor vehicle or aircraft.

9. "Dyed diesel fuel" means diesel fuel that is dyed pursuant to United States internal revenue service regulations or requirements, including any invisible marker requirements.

10. "Fuel tank" means a receptacle on a motor vehicle, watercraft or aircraft from which fuel is supplied for the propulsion of the motor vehicle, watercraft or aircraft, excluding a cargo tank but including a separate compartment of a cargo tank used as a fuel tank and an auxiliary tank or receptacle of any kind from which fuel is supplied for the propulsion of the motor vehicle, watercraft or aircraft, whether or not the tank or receptacle is directly connected to the fuel supply line of the motor vehicle, watercraft or aircraft.

11. "Highway" means any way or place in this state of whatever nature that is maintained by public monies and that is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel, including a highway under construction.

12. "In this state" means any way or place within the exterior limits of the state of Arizona that is maintained by public monies, including any such way or place that is owned by or ceded to the United States of America.

13. "Indian reservation" means all lands that are within the limits of areas set aside by the United States for the exclusive use and occupancy of Indian tribes by treaty, law or executive order and that are currently recognized as Indian reservations by the United States department of the interior.

14. "Indian tribe" means any organized nation, tribe, band or community recognized as an Indian tribe by the United States department of the interior.

15. "Interstate user" means a person registering a use class motor vehicle under chapter 7, article 7 or 8 of this title or section 28-2321 or 28-2324.

16. "Invoiced gallons" means the gallons actually billed on an invoice in payment to a supplier.

17. "Light class motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle that uses use fuel on the highways in this state but excludes a road tractor, truck tractor, truck or passenger carrying vehicle having a declared gross vehicle weight of more than twenty-six thousand pounds or having more than two axles.

18. "Motor fuel" means motor vehicle fuel, use fuel and aviation fuel.

19. "Motor vehicle" means a self-propelled vehicle required to be licensed or subject to licensing for operation on a highway.

20. "Permissive supplier" means an out-of-state supplier that elects, but is not required, to have a supplier’s license pursuant to this article.

21. "Person" means an individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, corporation, estate, trust, business trust, receiver or syndicate, this state, any county, city, town, district or other subdivision of this state, an Indian tribe, or any other group or combination acting as a unit.

22. "Position holder":

(a) Means the person who holds the inventory position in motor fuel in a terminal, as reflected on the records of the terminal operator. For the purposes of this subdivision, "a person who holds the inventory position in motor fuel" means a person who has a contract with the terminal operator for the use of storage facilities and terminaling services for fuel at the terminal.

(b) Includes a terminal operator who owns fuel in the terminal.

23. "Public monies" means those monies that are received by this state and that are derived all or in part from tax revenues or other funding sources.

24. "Qualified terminal" means a terminal that is designated as a qualified terminal pursuant to the United States internal revenue code, regulation and practices and that has been assigned a terminal control number by the United States internal revenue service.

25. "Rack" means a mechanism for delivering motor fuel from a refinery, a terminal or a bulk plant into a railroad tank car, a transport truck or other means of transfer that is outside the bulk transfer terminal system.

26. "Refiner" means any person who owns, operates or otherwise controls a refinery within the United States.

27. "Refinery" means a facility that is used to produce motor fuel from crude oil, unfinished oils, natural gas liquids, transmix or other hydrocarbons or by blending and from which motor fuel may be removed by pipeline, by vessel or at a rack.

28. "Road tractor" means a motor vehicle that is designed and used for drawing other vehicles and that is not constructed to carry either a load independently or any part of the weight of a vehicle or load so drawn.

29. "Sell" includes a transfer of title or possession, exchange or barter in any manner or by any means.

30. "Supplier":

(a) Means a person who is registered pursuant to section 4101 of the United States internal revenue code for transactions in motor fuels in the bulk transfer terminal distribution system and who is one of the following:

(i) The position holder in a terminal or refinery in this state.

(ii) A person who imports motor fuel into this state from a foreign country.

(iii) A person who acquires motor fuel from a terminal or refinery in this state from a position holder pursuant to a two party exchange.

(iv) The position holder in a terminal or refinery outside this state with respect to motor fuel that that person imports into this state on the account of that person.

(b) Includes a permissive supplier unless specifically provided otherwise. Supplier does not include a terminal operator merely because the terminal operator handles motor fuel consigned to the terminal operator within a terminal.

31. "Terminal" means a storage and distribution facility for motor fuel, which is supplied by pipeline or marine vessel, that is registered as a qualified terminal by the United States internal revenue service and from which motor fuel may be removed at a rack.

32. "Terminal bulk transfer" includes the following:

(a) A marine barge movement of motor fuel from a refinery or terminal to a terminal.

(b) Pipeline movements of motor fuel from a refinery or terminal to a terminal.

33. "Terminal operator" means any person who owns, operates or otherwise controls a terminal and who does not use a substantial portion of the motor fuel that is transferred through or stored in the terminal for the person’s own use or consumption or in the manufacture of products other than motor fuel. A terminal operator may own the motor fuel that is transferred through or stored in the terminal.

34. "Transmix" means the buffer or interface between two different products in a pipeline shipment or a mix of two different products within a refinery or terminal that results in an off-grade mixture that is not usable or salable as motor fuel.

35. "Two party exchange" means a transaction:

(a) In which motor fuel is transferred from one licensed supplier or licensed permissive supplier to another licensed supplier or licensed permissive supplier.

(b) That includes a transfer from the person that holds the original inventory position for motor fuel in the terminal as reflected on the records of the terminal operator.

(c) That is simultaneous with removal from the terminal by the receiving exchange party.

(d) In which the terminal operator in the terminal operator’s books and records treats the receiving exchange party as the supplier that removes the product across a terminal rack for purposes of reporting the events to the department.

36. "Use" includes the placing of fuel into any receptacle on a motor vehicle from which fuel is supplied for the propulsion of the vehicle unless the operator of the vehicle establishes to the satisfaction of the director that the fuel was consumed for a purpose other than to propel a motor vehicle on a highway in this state and, with respect to fuel brought into this state in any such receptacle on a use class motor vehicle, the consumption of the fuel in this state. A person who places fuel in a receptacle on a use class motor vehicle of another is not deemed to have used the fuel.

37. "Use class motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle that uses use fuel on a highway in this state and that is a road tractor, truck tractor, truck or passenger carrying vehicle having a declared gross vehicle weight of more than twenty-six thousand pounds or having more than two axles.

38. "Use fuel" includes all gases and liquids used or suitable for use to propel motor vehicles, except fuels that are subject to the motor vehicle fuel tax imposed by this article.

39. "User" includes a person who, within the meaning of the term use as defined in this section, uses fuel in a use class motor vehicle.

40. "Vendor" includes a person who sells use fuel in this state and who places the fuel or causes the fuel to be placed into any receptacle on a motor vehicle from which receptacle fuel is supplied for the propulsion, including a service station dealer, a broker and a user who sells use fuel to others.