PART 7. CIGARETTE LIGHTERS [14940. - 14943.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 7.

in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 14940. Section 14940.

The Legislature finds and declares that unreasonable risks of death and serious bodily injury are caused by fires started by the operation of cigarette lighters by children. The Legislature further finds and declares that these risks are sufficiently severe to require the enactment of standards to reduce the risks.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 14941. Section 14941.

As used in this part, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (a) “Cigarette lighter” means a device used to light cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, but does not mean a match. “Cigarette lighter” includes a device, such as a watch, that may be used to light cigarettes, cigars, and pipes even though it is primarily used for other purposes. “Cigarette lighter” does not include lighters that are refillable and have a gross fueled weight of at least 35 grams. (b) “Operate” means the ability to cause a cigarette lighter to ignite. (c) “Special design” means a design of a cigarette lighter that results in the cigarette lighter being significantly difficult for children under five years of age to operate.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 14942. Section 14942.

(a) The State Fire Marshal shall adopt regulations by January 1, 1994, that specify standards for the special design of cigarette lighters, using an 80 percent acceptance criterion with respect to safety features that prevent operation of the lighters by children five years of age or younger. The State Fire Marshal shall select a test protocol from those which have been submitted, on or before the effective date of this act, to the Consumer Products Safety Commission of the United States. If federal standards for the special design of cigarette lighters are adopted, the federal standard shall take precedence over a regulation adopted pursuant to this section, and the regulation shall have no force or effect. (b) Each manufacturer shall provide for the testing of its products that are subject to this section, through laboratories approved by the State Fire Marshal, and shall bear the cost of product testing according to the approved plan and test protocol. The State Fire Marshal may collect fees from manufacturers to pay for the application and approval process in conjunction with administering this section. Fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Cigarette Lighter Safety Account in the General Fund, which is hereby created. Moneys in that account shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for reimbursement of the State Fire Marshal’s costs in processing applications and approvals under this section. This section shall remain operative only if and when federal standards for the special design of cigarette lighters for the purpose stated in this section are not in effect.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 14943. Section 14943.

(a) No person shall sell, offer for sale, or distribute a cigarette lighter that does not comply with the standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 14942. (b) Any person who violates subdivision (a) is guilty of an infraction and shall be punished by a fine of up to one hundred dollars ($100) for each cigarette lighter that is sold in violation of subdivision (a). (c) This section shall not become operative until the State Fire Marshal adopts standards pursuant to Section 14942 and shall be operative only when those regulations are in effect as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 14942.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026