ARTICLE 9. Violations [52481. - 52489.]

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC 9.
in effect

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52481. Section 52481.

Except as otherwise provided in this section or in Section 52486, it is unlawful for any person to ship, deliver, transport, or sell any agricultural or vegetable seed within this state, other than the seed that is described in Section 52451, unless the test to determine the percentage of germination that is required by Article 8 (commencing with Section 52451) has been completed within the following period, exclusive of the calendar month in which the test is completed, immediately prior to shipment, delivery, transportation, or sale: (a) In the case of any agricultural or vegetable seed that is shipped, delivered, transported, or sold to a dealer for resale, eight months. (b) In the case of any agricultural or vegetable seed that is sold at retail, 15 months. (c) In the case of any agricultural or vegetable seed that is packaged under conditions that the secretary finds and determines will prolong the viability of the seed, the secretary may designate, in regulations that are adopted pursuant to this chapter, a longer period than otherwise specified in this section, and may require any additional labeling that may be necessary to maintain identification of seed that is packaged under these conditions. (d) Seed labeled under Section 52455 is not subject to subdivision (b) upon expiration of the viability assurance statement. This exemption does not limit the right of the enforcing officer to enforce other applicable sections of this chapter.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52482. Section 52482.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 52486, it is unlawful for any person to ship, deliver, transport, or sell any agricultural or vegetable seed within this state that is within any of the following classes: (a) Is not labeled in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. This subdivision does not, however, apply to any seed that is described in Section 52451. (b) Contains prohibited noxious weed seed, subject to tolerances and methods of determination prescribed in the regulations that are adopted pursuant to this chapter. This subdivision does not, however, apply to any of the seed that is described in subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 52451. (c) Has false or misleading labeling, or pertaining to which there has been a false or misleading advertisement. (d) Is represented to be certified seed or registered seed, unless it has been produced and labeled in accordance with the procedures and in compliance with the rules and regulations of a seed-certifying agency that is officially recognized under the provisions of this chapter, if produced in this state, or under the provisions of the Federal Seed Act (7 U.S.C., Sec. 1551, et seq.), as enacted, and rules and regulations that are adopted pursuant to that act, if produced outside of this state. (e) Contains more than 1 1 2 percent by weight of all weed seeds. This subdivision does not, however, apply to any seed that is described in subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of Section 52451. (f) To sell, by variety name, seed not certified by an official seed-certifying agency when it is a variety for which a certificate of plant variety protection under the United States Plant Variety Protection Act (84 Stats. 1542; 7 U.S.C. Sec. 2321, et seq.) specifies sale only as a class of certified seed, except that seed from a certified lot may be labeled as to variety name when used in a mixture by, or with the written approval of the owner of the variety.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52483. Section 52483.

It is unlawful for any person to do any of the following: (a) Detach, alter, deface, or destroy any label, warning tag, or notice that is provided for in this chapter or in the regulations that are adopted pursuant to it, or alter or substitute seed, in a manner that may defeat the purposes of this chapter. (b) Disseminate any false or misleading advertisement concerning agricultural or vegetable seed in any manner or by any means. (c) Hinder or obstruct in any way any authorized person in the performance of his or her duties under this chapter. (d) Fail to comply with a “stop-sale” order.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52484. Section 52484.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 52486, it is unlawful for any person to ship, deliver, transport, or sell agricultural or vegetable seed that is treated after harvest with any substance that is likely to be poisonous or toxic to human beings or animals unless there is conspicuously shown on the analysis tag or label, on a separate tag or label attached to each container, or on each container all of the following information: (1) “TREATED SEED” and the signal word for the category of treatment material, all in capital letters. (2) The chemical or generic name of the treatment material. (3) An appropriately worded statement as to the hazards to humans and animals. (4) An appropriately worded statement of practical treatment, if present. (b) This information shall be derived from the technical chemical label of each substance applied to the seed. (c) When more than one substance is applied, each substance shall be noted on the label and the seed shall be labeled for each substance applied with the signal word for the substance with the highest level of toxicity. (d) (1) For seeds treated with substances subject to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. Sec. 136 et seq.), the label shall include, for each pesticide, the following information: (A) The registration number from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, if applicable. (B) The quantity applied by weight or amount per seed. (2) This subdivision shall become operative January 1, 2027. (3) This subdivision shall only apply to seeds shipped, delivered, transported, distributed, or sold in the state for planting within the state. (4) The requirements of this subdivision do not apply to seeds packaged before January 1, 2027.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52485. Section 52485.

It is unlawful for any person to sell or divert for use or for processing, either for human or animal consumption, any grain or other crop seed which is treated after harvest with any substance that is likely to be poisonous or toxic to human beings or animals, unless there is an established state or federal pesticide residue tolerance for such poisonous or toxic substance on the specific grain or crop seed, and such pesticide residue tolerance is not exceeded.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52486. Section 52486.

Sections 52481, 52482, and 52484 of this article do not apply to any common carrier in respect to any seed which is transported or delivered for transportation in the ordinary course of its business as a carrier if such carrier is not engaged in conditioning or merchandising seed which is subject to the provisions of this chapter.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52487. Section 52487.

A violation of this chapter for having shipped, delivered, transported, or sold agricultural or vegetable seed that has false or misleading labeling shall be construed to have been committed at the time of discovery of the violation, and a complaint charging the violation shall be filed within one year from the time of discovery. No complaint that charges such a violation shall, however, be filed after two years from the date of sale.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52489. Section 52489.

It is unlawful for any person to violate the provisions of the United States Plant Variety Protection Act contained in Part J (commencing with Section 2531), Part K (commencing with Section 2541), or Part L (commencing with Section 2561) of Subchapter III of Chapter 57 of Title 7 of the United States Code, as enacted.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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