ARTICLE 19. Criminal Penalties [56631. - 56639.]

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC 19.
in effect

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 56631. Section 56631.

(a) Except as specified in Section 56632, any misdemeanor which is prescribed in this article is punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) or more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment. (b) For a violation of the offense described in subdivision (a), the department may recover investigative costs, excluding attorneys’ fees and administrative overhead, for those charges where there has been a conviction in a court of law, or a court-supervised settlement has been reached. Nothing in this section allows the department to recover investigative costs for an administrative licensing action or any action that has not been filed in a court of law. (c) Any person or entity responsible for investigative costs under this section shall be allowed to audit the department’s investigative costs. The audit must be performed by a third-party certified public accountant and paid for by the person or entity requesting the audit. The department shall promulgate regulations to implement this subdivision by June 1, 2002.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 56632. Section 56632.

It is a misdemeanor for any person to assume or attempt to act, or to act, as a licensee or agent without a license and is punishable by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 56632.2. Section 56632.2.

It is a misdemeanor for any person subject to this chapter to pay license fees in an amount less than that amount established under subdivision (b) of Section 56571. Any person who pays less than the amount established under subdivision (b) of Section 56571 for two or more consecutive years shall pay to the director treble the amount of the license fees due pursuant to this chapter.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 56632.5. Section 56632.5.

It is a misdemeanor for any person licensed as a cash buyer to buy or otherwise take title to, or possession of, any farm product from a licensee or a producer of such product, except by cash payment of the full agreed price to the licensee or producer at the time of obtaining possession or control.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 56637. Section 56637.

It is a misdemeanor for any person to directly or indirectly purchase for his own account, goods which are received by him upon consignment without prior authority from the consignor, or to fail to promptly notify the consignor of such purchases, if any, on his own account. This section does not, however, prevent any commission merchant from taking to account of sales, in order to close the day’s business, any miscellaneous lot or parcel of any farm product which remains unsold, if such commission merchant forthwith enters such transaction on his account of sales.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 56638. Section 56638.

It is a misdemeanor for any person to intentionally make any false statement regarding the grade, conditions, markings, quality, or quantity of any goods which are shipped or packed in any manner.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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