ARTICLE 11. Disciplinary Proceedings [7403. - 7405.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 11.

in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7403. Section 7403.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may revoke, suspend, or deny at any time any license required by this chapter on any of the grounds for disciplinary action provided in this article. The proceedings under this article shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the board shall have all the powers granted therein. (b) The board may deny a license to an applicant on any of the grounds specified in Section 480. (c) In addition to the requirements provided in Sections 485 and 486, upon denying a license to an applicant, the board shall provide a statement of reasons for the denial that does the following: (1) Evaluates evidence of rehabilitation submitted by the applicant, if any. (2) Provides the board’s criteria relating to rehabilitation, formulated pursuant to Section 482, that takes into account the age and severity of the offense, and the evidence relating to participation in treatment or other rehabilitation programs. (3) If the board’s decision was based on the applicant’s prior criminal conviction, justifies the board’s denial of a license and conveys the reasons why the prior criminal conviction is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a barber or cosmetologist. (d) Commencing July 1, 2009, all of the following shall apply: (1) If the denial of a license is due at least in part to the applicant’s state or federal criminal history record, the board shall, in addition to the information provided pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), provide to the applicant a copy of his or her criminal history record if the applicant makes a written request to the board for a copy, specifying an address to which it is to be sent. (A) The state or federal criminal history record shall not be modified or altered from its form or content as provided by the Department of Justice. (B) The criminal history record shall be provided in such a manner as to protect the confidentiality and privacy of the applicant’s criminal history record and the criminal history record shall not be made available by the board to any employer. (C) The board shall retain a copy of the applicant’s written request and a copy of the response sent to the applicant, which shall include the date and the address to which the response was sent. (2) The board shall make this information available upon request by the Department of Justice or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (e) Notwithstanding Section 487, the board shall conduct a hearing of a license denial within 90 days of receiving an applicant’s request for a hearing. For all other hearing requests, the board shall determine when the hearing shall be conducted. (f) In any case in which the administrative law judge recommends that the board revoke, suspend, or deny a license, the administrative law judge may, upon presentation of suitable proof, order the licensee to pay the board the reasonable costs of the investigation and adjudication of the case. For purposes of this section, “costs” include charges by the board for investigating the case, charges incurred by the office of the Attorney General for investigating and presenting the case, and charges incurred by the Office of Administrative Hearings for hearing the case and issuing a proposed decision. (g) The costs to be assessed shall be fixed by the administrative law judge and shall not, in any event, be increased by the board. When the board does not adopt a proposed decision and remands the case to an administrative law judge, the administrative law judge shall not increase the amount of any costs assessed in the proposed decision. (h) The board may enforce the order for payment in the superior court in the county where the administrative hearing was held. This right of enforcement shall be in addition to any other rights the board may have as to any licensee directed to pay costs. (i) In any judicial action for the recovery of costs, proof of the board’s decision shall be conclusive proof of the validity of the order of payment and the terms for payment. (j) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all costs recovered under this section shall be deposited in the board’s contingent fund as a scheduled reimbursement in the fiscal year in which the costs are actually recovered.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7403.2. Section 7403.2.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the executive officer or his or her designee, pursuant to an inspection of an establishment where health and safety laws and regulations related to manicure and pedicure equipment have been violated and a citation issued, may, without advance hearing, suspend temporarily a license issued under this chapter if, in the opinion of the executive officer or his or her designee, the action is necessary to protect the public’s health and safety. The suspension shall be effective upon the executive officer or his or her designee providing written notice of the suspension to the licensee. (b) The suspension of a license pursuant to this section shall be immediately stayed. The license shall be placed on probation for one year from the date of the suspension and be subject to the following terms and conditions: (1) The licensee shall undertake board-approved remedial training related to the health and safety laws and regulations applicable to the establishment. (2) The licensee shall be subject to reinspection by the board. The owner of the establishment shall pay all costs of inspection. (3) The licensee shall pay all citation fines to the board. In cases of economic hardship, the licensee may enter into an agreement with the board to make periodic payments to pay the citation fine amount. (c) The licensee whose license was suspended under this section may appeal in writing to the disciplinary review committee to determine if the suspension and the probationary terms and conditions should be modified or set aside. The appeal shall be submitted to the committee within 30 days of the effective date of the license suspension. An appeal not submitted within that timeframe shall be rejected by the committee. The appeal shall be conducted pursuant to the process described in Section 7410. The licensee may appeal the decision of the committee to the program administrator pursuant to the process described in Section 7411. (d) If the licensee fails to comply with the probationary terms and conditions imposed under this section, the board may petition to revoke the licensee’s probation. The proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (e) Upon the licensee’s successful completion of the probationary terms and conditions, the board shall reinstate the license.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7403.5. Section 7403.5.

(a) In addition to the authority provided by Sections 494 and 7403, the executive officer, in his or her discretion, may upon written notice immediately close any establishment which, upon completion of an inspection, is found to have health and safety violations of such a severe nature as to pose an immediate threat to public health and safety. (b) The executive officer shall issue a written notice of suspension of the establishment license including the grounds therefor and a notice of closure. The notice of closure shall be posted at the establishment so as to be clearly visible to the general public and to patrons. (c) Upon issuance of the written notice of suspension of the establishment license, the establishment shall immediately close to the general public and to patrons and shall discontinue all operations until the suspension has been vacated by the executive officer, the suspension expires, is superseded by an order issued under the authority of Section 494, or until the establishment no longer operates under this chapter. (d) (1) Before issuing a suspension order under this section, the executive officer shall, if practical, give the establishment notice and an opportunity to be heard. If no hearing is provided prior to the issuance of the suspension order, the establishment may request one after the suspension has been issued. (2) Notice and hearing under this section may be oral or written, including notice and hearing by telephone, facsimile transmission, or other electronic means as the circumstances permit. (e) Upon correction of violations the establishment may request that the written notice of suspension be terminated. The executive officer shall conduct an inspection within 48 hours to determine whether the written notice of suspension may be terminated. If the written notice of suspension is not terminated upon inspection for failure of the establishment to correct violations, a charge of one hundred dollars ($100) shall be imposed for each subsequent inspection under this section. (f) The notice of suspension shall remain posted until removed by the executive officer, but shall be in effect for no longer than 30 days. Removal of the notice of suspension by any person other than the executive officer or designated representative, or the refusal of an establishment to close upon issuance of the written notice of suspension of the establishment license is a violation of this chapter and may result in any sanctions authorized by this chapter.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7404. Section 7404.

The grounds for disciplinary action are as follows: (a) Unprofessional conduct which includes, but is not limited to, any of the following: (1) Incompetence or gross negligence, including failure to comply with generally accepted standards for the practice of barbering, cosmetology, or electrology or disregard for the health and safety of patrons. (2) Repeated similar negligent acts. (3) Conviction of any crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the licenseholder, in which case, the records of conviction or a certified copy shall be conclusive evidence thereof. (4) Advertising by means of knowingly false or deceptive statements. (b) Failure to comply with the requirements of this chapter. (c) Failure to comply with the rules governing health and safety adopted by the board and approved by the State Department of Public Health, for the regulation of establishments, or any practice licensed and regulated under this chapter. (d) Failure to comply with the rules adopted by the board for the regulation of establishments, or any practice licensed and regulated under this chapter. (e) Continued practice by a person knowingly having an infectious or contagious disease. (f) Habitual drunkenness, habitual use of or addiction to the use of any controlled substance. (g) Obtaining or attempting to obtain practice in any occupation licensed and regulated under this chapter, or money, or compensation in any form, by fraudulent misrepresentation. (h) Failure to display the license or health and safety rules and regulations in a conspicuous place. (i) Engaging, outside of a licensed establishment and for compensation in any form whatever, in any practice for which a license is required under this chapter, except that when the service is provided because of illness or other physical or mental incapacitation of the recipient of the service and when performed by a licensee obtained for the purpose from a licensed establishment. (j) Permitting a license to be used where the holder is not personally, actively, and continuously engaged in business. (k) The making of any false statement as to a material matter in any oath or affidavit, which is required by the provisions of this chapter. ( l ) Refusal to permit or interference with an inspection authorized under this chapter. (m) Any action or conduct which would have warranted the denial of a license. (n) Failure to surrender a license that was issued in error or by mistake.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7404.1. Section 7404.1.

Any person, firm, association, or corporation violating this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor unless a specific penalty is otherwise provided.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7405. Section 7405.

A plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this article. The board may order the license suspended or revoked, or may decline to issue a license, when the time for appeal has elapsed, or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal or when an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence, irrespective of a subsequent order under Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code allowing the person to withdraw his or her plea of guilty and to enter a plea of not guilty, or setting aside the verdict of guilty, or dismissing the accusation, information or indictment.

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