CHAPTER 2. The Director of Consumer Affairs [150. - 166.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 2.
in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 151. Section 151.

The director is appointed by the Governor and holds office at the Governor’s pleasure. The director shall receive the annual salary provided for by Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 11550) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the director’s necessary traveling expenses.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 152. Section 152.

For the purpose of administration, the reregistration and clerical work of the department is organized by the director, subject to the approval of the Governor, in such manner as the director deems necessary to properly segregate and conduct the work of the department.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 152.5. Section 152.5.

For purposes of distributing the reregistration work of the department uniformly throughout the year as nearly as practicable, the boards in the department may, with the approval of the director, extend by not more than six months the date fixed by law for the renewal of any license, certificate or permit issued by them, except that in such event any renewal fee which may be involved shall be prorated in such manner that no person shall be required to pay a greater or lesser fee than would have been required had the change in renewal dates not occurred.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 152.6. Section 152.6.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, each board within the department shall, in cooperation with the director, establish such license periods and renewal dates for all licenses in such manner as best to distribute the renewal work of all boards throughout each year and permit the most efficient, and economical use of personnel and equipment. To the extent practicable, provision shall be made for the proration or other adjustment of fees in such manner that no person shall be required to pay a greater or lesser fee than the person would have been required to pay if the change in license periods or renewal dates had not occurred. As used in this section “license” includes “certificate,” “permit,” “authority,” “registration,” and similar indicia of authority to engage in a business or profession, and “board” includes “board,” “bureau,” “commission,” “committee,” and an individual who is authorized to renew a license.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 153. Section 153.

The director may investigate the work of the boards in the department and may obtain a copy of all records and full and complete data in all official matters in possession of the boards and their members, officers, or employees, other than examination questions prior to submission to applicants at scheduled examinations.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 153.5. Section 153.5.

In the event that a newly authorized board replaces an existing or a previous board, the director may appoint an interim executive officer for the board who shall serve temporarily until the new board appoints a permanent executive officer.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 154. Section 154.

Any and all matters relating to employment, tenure or discipline of employees of any board, agency or commission, shall be initiated by said board, agency or commission, but all such actions shall, before reference to the State Personnel Board, receive the approval of the appointing power. To effect the purposes of Division 1 of this code and each agency of the department, employment of all personnel shall be in accord with Article XXIV of the Constitution, the law and rules and regulations of the State Personnel Board. Each board, agency or commission, shall select its employees from a list of eligibles obtained by the appointing power from the State Personnel Board. The person selected by the board, agency or commission to fill any position or vacancy shall thereafter be reported by the board, agency or commission, to the appointing power.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 154.1. Section 154.1.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following: (1) The department is currently providing opportunities for employees of agencies comprising the department who perform enforcement functions to attend an entry level enforcement academy. (2) It is in the best interest of consumers in the state for the department to continue to provide ongoing training opportunities for employees performing enforcement functions for each agency comprising the department. (b) The department shall continue to develop and make available training courses for employees who perform enforcement functions. The purpose of the training courses is to develop knowledge of enforcement practices for all employees who perform enforcement functions. The department shall encourage an agency executive officer, registrar, executive director, bureau chief, enforcement manager, supervisor, or staff member to attend enforcement training courses. (c) The department shall develop the enforcement training curricula in consultation and cooperation with the office of the Attorney General and the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 154.2. Section 154.2.

(a) The healing arts boards within Division 2 (commencing with Section 500) may employ individuals, other than peace officers, to perform investigative services. (b) The healing arts boards within Division 2 (commencing with Section 500) may employ individuals to serve as experts.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 154.3. Section 154.3.

(a) Pursuant to subdivision (u) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code, the department shall submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice for an employee, prospective employee, contractor, subcontractor, or volunteer. The Department of Justice shall provide a state- or federal-level response pursuant to subdivision (p) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code. (b) Pursuant to subdivision (u) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code, the department shall submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice for all peace officer employees and prospective peace officer employees of the department. The Department of Justice shall provide a state- or federal-level response pursuant to subdivision (k) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 154.5. Section 154.5.

If a person, not a regular employee of a board under this code, including the Board of Chiropractic Examiners and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, is hired or under contract to provide expertise to the board in the evaluation of an applicant or the conduct of a licensee, and that person is named as a defendant in a civil action arising out of the evaluation or any opinions rendered, statements made, or testimony given to the board or its representatives, the board shall provide for representation required to defend the defendant in that civil action. The board shall not be liable for any judgment rendered against the person. The Attorney General shall be utilized in the action and his or her services shall be a charge against the board.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 155. Section 155.

(a) In accordance with Section 159.5, the director may employ such investigators, inspectors, and deputies as are necessary properly to investigate and prosecute all violations of any law, the enforcement of which is charged to the department or to any board, agency, or commission in the department. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that inspectors used by boards, bureaus, or commissions in the department shall not be required to be employees of the Division of Investigation, but may either be employees of, or under contract to, the boards, bureaus, or commissions. Contracts for services shall be consistent with Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 19130) of Chapter 6 of Part 2 of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code. All civil service employees currently employed as inspectors whose functions are transferred as a result of this section shall retain their positions, status, and rights in accordance with Section 19994.10 of the Government Code and the State Civil Service Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 18500) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code). (c) Nothing in this section limits the authority of, or prohibits, investigators in the Division of Investigation in the conduct of inspections or investigations of any licensee, or in the conduct of investigations of any officer or employee of a board or the department at the specific request of the director or his or her designee.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 156. Section 156.

(a) The director may, for the department and at the request and with the consent of a board within the department on whose behalf the contract is to be made, enter into contracts pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 11250) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code or Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10290) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code for and on behalf of any board within the department. (b) In accordance with subdivision (a), the director may, in his or her discretion, negotiate and execute contracts for examination purposes, which include provisions that hold harmless a contractor where liability resulting from a contract between a board in the department and the contractor is traceable to the state or its officers, agents, or employees. (c) The director shall report progress on release 3 entities’ transition to a new licensing technology platform to all the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 31 of each year. Progress reports shall include updated plans and timelines for completing all of the following: (1) Business process documentation. (2) Cost benefit analyses of information technology options. (3) Information technology system development and implementation. (4) Any other relevant steps needed to meet the IT needs of release 3 entities. (5) Any other information as the Legislature may request.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 156.1. Section 156.1.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, individuals or entities contracting with the department or any board within the department for the provision of services relating to the treatment and rehabilitation of licensees impaired by alcohol or dangerous drugs shall retain all records and documents pertaining to those services until such time as these records and documents have been reviewed for audit by the department. These records and documents shall be retained for three years from the date of the last treatment or service rendered to that licensee, after which time the records and documents may be purged and destroyed by the contract vendor. This provision shall supersede any other law relating to the purging or destruction of records pertaining to those treatment and rehabilitation programs. (b) Unless otherwise expressly provided by statute or regulation, all records and documents pertaining to services for the treatment and rehabilitation of licensees impaired by alcohol or dangerous drugs provided by any contract vendor to the department or to any board within the department shall be kept confidential and are not subject to discovery or subpoena. (c) With respect to all other contracts for services with the department, or any board within the department other than those set forth in subdivision (a), the director or chief deputy director may request an examination and audit by the department’s internal auditor of all performance under the contract. For this purpose, all documents and records of the contract vendor in connection with such performance shall be retained by the vendor for a period of three years after final payment under the contract. Nothing in this section shall affect the authority of the State Auditor to conduct any examination or audit under the terms of Section 8546.7 of the Government Code.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 156.5. Section 156.5.

The director may negotiate and execute for the department and for its component agencies, rental agreements for short-term hiring of space and furnishings for examination or meeting purposes. The director may, in his or her discretion, negotiate and execute contracts for that space which include provisions which hold harmless the provider of the space where liability resulting from use of the space under the contract is traceable to the state or its officers, agents, or employees. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the director may, in his or her discretion, advance payments as deposits to reserve and hold examination or meeting space. Any such agreement is subject to the approval of the legal office of the Department of General Services.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 157. Section 157.

Expenses incurred by any board or on behalf of any board in any criminal prosecution or unprofessional conduct proceeding constitute proper charges against the funds of the board.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 158. Section 158.

With the approval of the Director of Consumer Affairs, the boards and commissions comprising the department or subject to its jurisdiction may make refunds to applicants who are found ineligible to take the examinations or whose credentials are insufficient to entitle them to certificates or licenses. Notwithstanding any other law, any application fees, license fees, or penalties imposed and collected illegally, by mistake, inadvertence, or error shall be refunded. Claims authorized by the department shall be filed with the State Controller, and the Controller shall draw a warrant against the fund of the agency in payment of the refund.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 159. Section 159.

The members and the executive officer of each board, agency, bureau, division, or commission have power to administer oaths and affirmations in the performance of any business of the board, and to certify to official acts.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 159.5. Section 159.5.

(a) (1) There is in the department the Division of Investigation. The division is in the charge of a person with the title of chief of the division. (2) Except as provided in Section 160, investigators who have the authority of peace officers, as specified in subdivision (a) of Section 160 and in subdivision (a) of Section 830.3 of the Penal Code, shall be in the division and shall be appointed by the director. (b) (1) There is in the Division of Investigation the Health Quality Investigation Unit. The primary responsibility of the unit is to investigate violations of law or regulation within the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California, the Podiatric Medical Board of California, the Board of Psychology, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Physician Assistant Board, or any entities under the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California. (2) The Medical Board of California shall not be charged an hourly rate for the performance of investigations by the unit.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 160. Section 160.

(a) The chief and all investigators of the Division of Investigation of the department and all investigators of the Dental Board of California have the authority of peace officers while engaged in exercising the powers granted or performing the duties imposed upon them or the division in investigating the laws administered by the various boards comprising the department or commencing directly or indirectly any criminal prosecution arising from any investigation conducted under these laws. All persons herein referred to shall be deemed to be acting within the scope of employment with respect to all acts and matters set forth in this section. (b) The Division of Investigation of the department and the Dental Board of California may employ individuals, who are not peace officers, to provide investigative services. (c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2014.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 160.5. Section 160.5.

(a) All civil service employees currently employed by the Board of Dental Examiners of the Department of Consumer Affairs, whose functions are transferred as a result of the act adding this section shall retain their positions, status, and rights pursuant to Section 19050.9 of the Government Code and the State Civil Service Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 18500) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code). The transfer of employees as a result of the act adding this section shall occur no later than July 1, 1999. (b) (1) All civil service employees currently employed by the Medical Board of California of the Department of Consumer Affairs, whose functions are transferred as a result of the act adding this subdivision shall retain their positions, status, and rights pursuant to Section 19050.9 of the Government Code and the State Civil Service Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 18500) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code). The transfer of employees as a result of the act adding this subdivision shall occur no later than July 1, 2014. (2) The transfer of employees pursuant to this subdivision shall include all peace officer and medical consultant positions and all staff support positions for those peace officer and medical consultant positions.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 161. Section 161.

The department, or any board in the department, may, in accordance with the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code) and the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code), make available to the public copies of any part of its respective public records, or compilations, extracts, or summaries of information contained in its public records, at a charge sufficient to pay the actual cost thereof. That charge shall be determined by the director with the approval of the Department of General Services.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 162. Section 162.

The certificate of the officer in charge of the records of any board in the department that any person was or was not on a specified date, or during a specified period of time, licensed, certified or registered under the provisions of law administered by the board, or that the license, certificate or registration of any person was revoked or under suspension, shall be admitted in any court as prima facie evidence of the facts therein recited.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 163. Section 163.

Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, the department and each board in the department shall charge a fee of two dollars ($2) for the certification of a copy of any record, document, or paper in its custody or for the certification of any document evidencing the content of any such record, document or paper.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 163.5. Section 163.5.

Except as otherwise provided by law, the delinquency, penalty, or late fee for any licensee within the Department of Consumer Affairs shall be 50 percent of the renewal fee for such license in effect on the date of the renewal of the license, but not less than twenty-five dollars ($25) nor more than one hundred fifty dollars ($150). A delinquency, penalty, or late fee shall not be assessed until 30 days have elapsed from the date that the licensing agency mailed a notice of renewal to the licensee at the licensee’s last known address of record. The notice shall specify the date for timely renewal, and that failure to renew in a timely fashion shall result in the assessment of a delinquency, penalty, or late fee. In the event a reinstatement or like fee is charged for the reinstatement of a license, the reinstatement fee shall be 150 percent of the renewal fee for such license in effect on the date of the reinstatement of the license, but not more than twenty-five dollars ($25) in excess of the renewal fee, except that in the event that such a fee is fixed by statute at less than 150 percent of the renewal fee and less than the renewal fee plus twenty-five dollars ($25), the fee so fixed shall be charged.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 164. Section 164.

The form and content of any license, certificate, permit, or similar indicia of authority issued by any agency in the department, including any document evidencing renewal of a license, certificate, permit, or similar indicia of authority, shall be determined by the director after consultation with and consideration of the views of the agency concerned.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 165. Section 165.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no board, bureau, committee, commission, or program in the Department of Consumer Affairs shall submit to the Legislature any fiscal impact analysis relating to legislation pending before the Legislature until the analysis has been submitted to the Director of Consumer Affairs, or his or her designee, for review and comment. The boards, bureaus, committees, commissions, and programs shall include the comments of the director when submitting any fiscal impact analysis to the Legislature. This section shall not be construed to prohibit boards, bureaus, committees, commissions, and programs from responding to direct requests for fiscal data from Members of the Legislature or their staffs. In those instances it shall be the responsibility of boards, bureaus, committees, commissions, and programs to also transmit that information to the director, or his or her designee, within five working days.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 166. Section 166.

The director shall, by regulation, develop guidelines to prescribe components for mandatory continuing education programs administered by any board within the department. (a) The guidelines shall be developed to ensure that mandatory continuing education is used as a means to create a more competent licensing population, thereby enhancing public protection. The guidelines shall require mandatory continuing education programs to address, at least, the following: (1) Course validity. (2) Occupational relevancy. (3) Effective presentation. (4) Actual attendance. (5) Material assimilation. (6) Potential for application. (b) The director shall consider educational principles, and the guidelines shall prescribe mandatory continuing education program formats to include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) The specified audience. (2) Identification of what is to be learned. (3) Clear goals and objectives. (4) Relevant learning methods (participatory, hands-on, or clinical setting). (5) Evaluation, focused on the learner and the assessment of the intended learning outcomes (goals and objectives). (c) Any board within the department that, after January 1, 1993, proposes a mandatory continuing education program for its licensees shall submit the proposed program to the director for review to assure that the program contains all the elements set forth in this section and complies with the guidelines developed by the director. (d) Any board administering a mandatory continuing education program that proposes to amend its current program shall do so in a manner consistent with this section. (e) Any board currently administering a mandatory continuing education program shall review the components and requirements of the program to determine the extent to which they are consistent with the guidelines developed under this section. The board shall submit a report of their findings to the director. The report shall identify the similarities and differences of its mandatory continuing education program. The report shall include any board-specific needs to explain the variation from the director’s guidelines. (f) Any board administering a mandatory continuing education program, when accepting hours for credit which are obtained out of state, shall ensure that the course for which credit is given is administered in accordance with the guidelines addressed in subdivision (a). (g) Nothing in this section or in the guidelines adopted by the director shall be construed to repeal any requirements for continuing education programs set forth in any other provision of this code.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026