ARTICLE 15. Enforcement and Penalties [29300. - 29313.]

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC 15.
in effect

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29302. Section 29302.

(a) Unless otherwise stated, it shall be an infraction for any person to fail to comply with any requirement of this chapter, or regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, after a warning notice of seven days is given. However, there shall be no warning notice for infractions involving the following sections: (1) Subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 29046. (2) Subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 29056. (3) Section 29072. (4) Section 29111. (5) Section 29113. (6) Section 29120. (7) Section 29126. (8) Section 29127. (9) Section 29145. (10) Section 29150. (11) Section 29170. (12) Section 29171. (13) Section 29172. (14) Section 29173. (15) Section 29204. (b) Violations shall be referred to the district attorney in the affected county, or to the Attorney General if the district attorney is not able to prosecute the matter. For purposes of this chapter, each incident shall constitute a separate infraction. When violations of provisions governing hives or colonies are involved, each separate hive or colony shall constitute a separate infraction. Notwithstanding any other law, the maximum penalty of each infraction shall be one hundred dollars ($100) for the first hive or colony, plus one dollar ($1) for each additional hive or colony not in compliance, as applicable to a maximum penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), except that a violation of Section 29070 or 29070.5 shall be subject to a maximum fifty dollar ($50) fine. This section does not prevent the secretary or the commissioner from initiating any procedures for issuance of a prior warning notice or notice to correct.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29303. Section 29303.

It shall be an infraction for any person to fail to comply with any notice or order which is issued pursuant to this chapter subject to the penalties set forth in Section 29302.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29304. Section 29304.

(a) In addition to the penalties outlined in Sections 12999.5, 29302, and 29303, any person not complying with this chapter, a regulation adopted thereto, or any notice or order issued pursuant to this chapter or regulation, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) for each day that the violation continues. (b) The secretary or commissioner may also seek injunctive relief against any person operating in violation of this chapter or regulations adopted thereto, or violation of any order or notice issued pursuant to the authority of this chapter or regulation adopted thereto. (c) Any action for recovery of civil penalties or injunctive relief shall be referred to the Attorney General.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29305. Section 29305.

(a) Any penalties recovered under this chapter, whether criminal or civil, shall be paid into a special account maintained by the department, and shall be used for the administration of Section 29302, except that up to 50 percent of the costs incurred by a district attorney in prosecuting a case under Section 29302 shall be reimbursed from whatever penalties are obtained from the prosecution. (b) In determining the amount of any civil or criminal penalty provided for in this chapter, the court shall consider the seriousness of the conduct, and all relevant circumstances including, but not limited to, the extent of the harm caused by the conduct; the motive and persistence of the conduct; the length of time over which the conduct occurred; the economic impact on the person involved, whether a corporation or an individual; and any corrective action taken by the person.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29306. Section 29306.

In addition to any other penalty provided for by law, and by this article, any person who willfully or intentionally violates any provisions of this chapter shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each violation, which shall be recovered in a civil action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29307. Section 29307.

Any person who violates any injunctive order issued pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 29304 shall be subject to a civil penalty, in addition to any other penalty provided for by law, not to exceed six thousand dollars ($6,000). Where the conduct constituting a violation is of a continuing nature, each day of violative conduct shall be a separate and distinct violation.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29309. Section 29309.

Each commissioner is an ex officio state apiary inspector and may appoint one or more inspectors, qualified pursuant to the regulations of the director, to be county apiary inspectors.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29310. Section 29310.

The director may assign one or more qualified state apiary inspectors to perform the duties of a county apiary inspector in any county for such time and rate of compensation as may be determined by agreement with the board of supervisors pursuant to Section 482. The state apiary inspector shall be under the direction and supervision of the commissioner if there is a commissioner in the county to which the inspector is assigned.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29312. Section 29312.

In any civil action for the wrongful and willful taking, possessing, harboring, or transporting of a beehive, for the wrongful and willful removal of bees from their beehive, or for the wrongful and willful killing or destroying of bees without the consent of the owner or the person lawfully in possession of those bees, the damage caused to the plaintiff shall be three times the value of the bees at the time of the taking, possessing, harboring, transporting, destroying, or vandalizing of the bees, plus an amount in fair compensation for the time and money properly expended by the plaintiff in recovering or replacing the bees.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 29313. Section 29313.

(a) In lieu of prosecution, and in addition to any other penalty that is provided in this chapter, the secretary or the commissioner may impose an administrative civil penalty on a person who violates Article 4 (commencing with Section 29040) or Article 5 (commencing with Section 29070), Article 10 (commencing with Section 29671) of Chapter 2, or any regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter to implement those articles. (b) An administrative civil penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall be levied in proportion to the violation, measured as either “serious,” “moderate,” or “minor.” (1) “Serious” violations are repeat or intentional violations, punishable by an administrative civil penalty of not less than four hundred one dollars ($401) and up to a maximum of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per violation. (2) “Moderate” violations are repeat violations or violations that are not intentional, punishable by an administrative civil penalty of not less than one hundred fifty-one dollars ($151), but not more than four hundred dollars ($400) per violation. (3) “Minor” violations are violations that are procedural in nature, punishable by an administrative civil penalty of not less than fifty dollars ($50), but not more than one hundred fifty dollars ($150) per violation. (c) Before an administrative civil penalty is imposed pursuant to this section, the person charged with the violation shall receive written notice of the proposed action, including the nature of the violation and, if applicable, the amount of the proposed civil penalty. The person shall have the right to request a hearing within 20 days after receiving notice of the proposed action. A notice that is sent by certified mail to the last known address of the person charged shall be considered received even if delivery is refused or if the notice is not accepted at that address. If a hearing is requested, notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be given at least 10 days before the date set for the hearing. At the hearing, the person shall be given an opportunity to review the secretary’s or the commissioner’s evidence and to present evidence on the person’s own behalf. If a hearing is not timely requested, the secretary or the commissioner may take the action proposed without a hearing. (d) If the person, upon whom the commissioner imposed an administrative civil penalty, requested and appeared at a hearing, the person may appeal the commissioner’s decision to the secretary within 30 days of the date of receiving a copy of the commissioner’s decision. The following procedures apply to the appeal: (1) The appeal shall be in writing and signed by the appellant or the appellant’s authorized agent, state the grounds for the appeal, and include a copy of the commissioner’s decision. The appellant shall file a copy of the appeal with the commissioner at the same time it is filed with the secretary. (2) The appellant and the commissioner, at the time of filing the appeal or within 10 days thereafter or at a later time prescribed by the secretary, may present the record of the hearing and a written argument to the secretary stating the ground for affirming, modifying, or reversing the commissioner’s decision. (3) The secretary may grant oral arguments upon application made at the time written arguments are filed. (4) If an application to present an oral argument is granted, written notice of the time and place for the oral argument shall be given at least 10 days before the date set therefor. The times may be altered by mutual agreement of the appellant, the commissioner, and the secretary. (5) The secretary shall decide the appeal on the record of the hearing, including the written evidence and the written argument described in paragraph (2), that the secretary has received. If the secretary finds substantial evidence in the record to support the commissioner’s decision, the secretary shall affirm the decision. (6) The secretary shall render a written decision within 45 days of the date of appeal or within 15 days of the date of oral arguments or as soon thereafter as practical. (7) On an appeal pursuant to this section, the secretary may affirm the commissioner’s decision, modify the commissioner’s decision by reducing or increasing the amount of the civil penalty levied, if applicable, so that it is within the secretary’s guidelines for imposing administrative civil penalties, or reverse the commissioner’s decision. Any civil penalty increased by the secretary shall not be higher than that proposed in the commissioner’s notice of proposed action given pursuant to subdivision (c). A copy of the secretary’s decision shall be delivered or mailed to the appellant and the commissioner. (8) Any person who does not request a hearing with the commissioner pursuant to a civil penalty imposed under subdivision (c) may not file an appeal to the secretary pursuant to this subdivision. (9) Review of a decision of the secretary may be sought by the appellant within 30 days of the date of the decision pursuant to Section 1094.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (e) After the exhaustion of the appeal and review of procedures provided in this section, the commissioner, or the commissioner’s representative, may file a certified copy of a final decision of the commissioner that directs the payment of a civil penalty, and, if applicable, a copy of any decision of the secretary, or the secretary’s authorized representative, rendered on an appeal from the commissioner’s decision and a copy of any order that denies a petition for a writ of administrative mandamus, with the clerk of the superior court of any county. Judgment shall be entered immediately by the clerk in conformity with the decision or order. No fees shall be charged by the clerk of the superior court for the performance of any official service required in connection with the entry of judgment pursuant to this section. (f) In addition to the administrative civil penalties prescribed in subdivision (b), the appellant may be required to cover the cost of the administrative hearing unless the decision of the secretary or the commissioner is overturned. (g) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2021.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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