CHAPTER 20. Professional Photocopiers [22450. - 22463.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 20.
in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22450. Section 22450.

A professional photocopier is any person who for compensation obtains or reproduces documents authorized to be produced under Part 2.6 (commencing with Section 56) of Division 1 of, or Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of, the Civil Code, or Section 1158 of, or Article 4 (commencing with Section 1560) of Chapter 2 of Division 11 of, the Evidence Code and who, while engaged in performing that activity, has access to the information contained therein. A professional photocopier shall be registered pursuant to this chapter by the county clerk of the county in which he or she resides or has his or her principal place of business, and in which he or she maintains a branch office.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22451. Section 22451.

This chapter does not apply to any of the following: (a) Any government employee who is acting in the course of his or her employment. (b) A member of the State Bar or his or her employees, agents, or independent contractors. (c) Any person who is specially appointed by the court to obtain or reproduce in order to transmit or distribute those records. (d) An employee or agent of a person who is registered under this chapter. (e) Any custodian of records who makes his or her own copies. (f) Any certified shorthand reporter, official court reporter, or stenotype operator who makes his or her own copies. (g) Any person licensed under Chapter 11.5 (commencing with Section 7512) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code or his or her employees. (h) The Office of the Secretary of State.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22452. Section 22452.

(a) The application for registration of a natural person shall contain all of the following statements about the applicant certified to be true: (1) Name, age, address, email address, and telephone number. (2) They have not been convicted of a felony. (3) They will perform their duties as a professional photocopier in compliance with the provisions of law governing the transmittal of confidential documentary information in this state. (b) The application for registration of a partnership or corporation shall contain all of the following statements about each general partner or corporate officer, and be certified to be true: (1) The names, ages, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers of the general partners or officers. (2) The general partners or officers have not been convicted of a felony. (3) The partnership or corporation will perform its duties as a professional photocopier in compliance with the provisions of law governing the transmittal of confidential documentary information in this state. (c) The county clerk shall retain the application for registration for a period of three years following the expiration date of the application, after which time the application may be destroyed if it is scanned or if the conditions specified in Section 26205.1 of the Government Code are met. If the application is scanned, the scanned image shall be retained for a period of 10 years, after which time that image may be destroyed and, notwithstanding Section 26205.1 of the Government Code, no reproduction thereof need be made or preserved. (d) A person or entity that knowingly provides false information shall be subject to a civil penalty for each violation in the minimum amount of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) and the maximum amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000). An action for a civil penalty under this provision may be brought by any public prosecutor in the name of the people of the State of California and the penalty imposed shall be enforceable as a civil judgment.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22453. Section 22453.

An applicant shall pay a fee of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175) to the county clerk at the time he or she files an application for registration. An additional fee for each card in an amount sufficient to cover the reasonable regulatory costs associated with the issuance of additional cards, as determined by the county clerk, shall be paid to the county clerk for each additional card of identification.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22453.1. Section 22453.1.

Notwithstanding Section 22453, any person registered pursuant to Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 22350) shall pay a fee of one hundred dollars ($100) instead of the fee of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175) otherwise required by Section 22453.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22454. Section 22454.

(a) At least one person involved in the management of a professional photocopier shall be required to hold a current commission from the Secretary of State as a notary public in this state. If the notary commission is held by someone other than the registrant, written confirmation from the notary authorizing the use of their commission for this registration is required. (b) The professional photocopier shall maintain a valid notary commission during the entire period that the professional photocopier’s certificate of registration is effective. The registrant shall notify the county clerk and provide an updated valid notary commission if the commission expires prior to the expiration of the certificate of registration.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22455. Section 22455.

(a) A certificate of registration shall be accompanied by a bond of five thousand dollars ($5,000) which is executed by a corporate surety qualified to do business in this state and conditioned upon compliance with the provisions of this chapter and all laws governing the transmittal of confidential documentary information under the code sections specified in Section 22450. The total aggregate liability on the bond shall be limited to five thousand dollars ($5,000). The bond may be terminated pursuant to the provisions of Section 995.440 and Article 13 (commencing with Section 996.310) of Chapter 2 of Title 14 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (1) The county clerk shall, upon filing the bond, deliver the bond forthwith to the county recorder for recording. The recording fee specified in Section 27361 of the Government Code shall be paid by the registered professional photocopier. The fee may be paid to the county clerk, who shall transmit it to the recorder. (2) The fee for filing, canceling, revoking, or withdrawing the bond is seven dollars ($7). (3) The county recorder shall record the bond and any notice of cancellation, revocation, or withdrawal of the bond, and shall thereafter mail the instrument, unless specified to the contrary, to the person named in the instrument and, if no person is named, to the party leaving it for recording. The recording fee specified in Section 27361 of the Government Code for the notice of cancellation, revocation, or withdrawal of the bond shall be paid to the county clerk, who shall transmit it to the county recorder. (b) In lieu of the bond required by subdivision (a), a registrant may deposit five thousand dollars ($5,000) in cash with the county clerk. (c) If the certificate is revoked, the bond or cash deposit shall be returned to the bonding party or depositor subject to the provisions of subdivision (d) and the right of a person to recover against the bond or cash deposit under Section 22459. (d) The county clerk may retain a cash deposit until the expiration of three years from the date the registrant has ceased to do business, or three years from the expiration or revocation date of the registration, in order to ensure there are no outstanding claims against the deposit. A judge of a superior court may order the return of the deposit prior to the expiration of three years upon evidence satisfactory to the judge that there are no outstanding claims against the deposit.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22456. Section 22456.

A certificate of registration shall be effective for a period of two years or until the date the bond expires, whichever occurs first. Thereafter, a registrant shall file a new certificate of registration or a renewal of the certificate of registration and pay the fee required by Section 22453. A certificate of registration may be renewed up to 60 days prior to its expiration date and the effective date of the renewal shall be the date the current registration expires. The renewal shall be effective for a period of two years from the effective date or until the expiration date of the bond, whichever occurs first.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22457. Section 22457.

(a) The county clerk shall maintain a register of professional photocopiers, assign a number to each professional photocopier, and issue an identification card to each one. Additional cards for employees of professional photocopiers shall be issued upon the payment of a fee for each card in an amount sufficient to cover the reasonable regulatory costs associated with the issuance of additional cards, as determined by the county clerk. Upon renewal of registration, the same number shall be assigned, provided that the applicant is renewing registration in the same county in which he or she was previously registered and there is no lapse of three or more years in the period of registration. (b) The identification card shall be a card not less than three and one-quarter inches by two inches, and shall contain at the top the title, “Professional Photocopier” followed by the registrant’s name, address, registration number, date of expiration, and county of registration. It shall also contain a photograph of the registrant in the lower left corner. The identification card for a partnership or corporation registration shall be issued in the name of the partnership or corporation, and shall not contain a photograph. The identification card for an employee of a professional photocopier or a partnership or corporation shall contain a photograph of the employee in the lower left corner. (c) The identification card for an employee of a professional photocopier or a partnership or corporation shall be issued in the name of the employee and include “Employee of: [insert name of the professional photocopier or the partnership or corporation].”

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22458. Section 22458.

A professional photocopier shall be responsible at all times for maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of information obtained under the applicable codes in the transmittal or distribution of records to the authorized persons or entities.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22459. Section 22459.

(a) Any person who recovers damages in any action or proceeding for injuries caused by the revelation of information which was improperly obtained, transmitted, or distributed by a registrant, or caused by a registrant’s noncompliance with requirements of confidential documentary information under the code sections specified in Section 22450 may recover damages from the bond or cash deposit required by Section 22455. (b) Whenever there has been a recovery against a bond or cash deposit under subdivision (a), the registrant shall file a new bond or deposit an additional amount of cash within 30 days to reinstate the bond or cash deposit to the amount required by Section 22455. If the registrant does not file a bond or deposit this amount within 30 days, his or her certificate of registration shall be revoked.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22460. Section 22460.

The county clerk shall revoke the registration of a professional photocopier upon receipt of a court document or record stating that the registrant has been found guilty of a misdemeanor violation of this chapter, or that a civil judgment has been entered against the registrant in an action arising out of an improper disclosure or transmittal of confidential information. The county clerk shall be given notice of such court actions. A registrant whose registration is revoked pursuant to this subdivision may reapply for registration after one year.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22460.5. Section 22460.5.

A certificate of registration may be revoked or suspended whenever it has been determined that the registrant has transmitted or distributed records obtained under the applicable sections in a manner which does not comply with the provisions of law governing the transmittal of confidential documentary information under the code sections specified in Section 22450, or which constitutes an improper transmittal or distribution not amounting to a violation of law. (b) An investigation concerning the revocation of certificate of registration of a registrant may be commenced at any time the public prosecutor deems it appropriate or upon the complaint of any person who has been injured by a transmittal or distribution which was handled by the registrant and does not comply with the provisions of law governing the transmittal of confidential documentary information under the code sections specified in Section 22450, or which constitutes an improper transmittal or distribution not amounting to a violation of law. (c) If the public prosecutor determines from the investigation that cause may exist for the suspension or revocation of the certificate of registration, he or she shall set the matter for hearing and give notice to the registrant. That hearing shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and, for the purposes of those provisions, the public prosecutor shall be deemed to be the agency, but shall be charged as provided by Section 11527 of the Government Code.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 22462. Section 22462.

(a) All records transmitted or distributed by a professional photocopier shall be accompanied by a certificate containing all of the following: (1) An affidavit signed by the custodian of the original records that were reproduced for transmittal. It shall conform to the requirements specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 1560) of Chapter 2 of Division 11 of the Evidence Code. (2) An affidavit signed by the professional photocopier or his or her employee stating that the records shall be transmitted or distributed to the authorized persons or entities. (b) The certificate shall bear the name, address, and registration number and county of registration of the professional photocopier. The custodian of records shall be entitled to a copy of the certificate, completed as provided in subdivision (a). (c) The custodian of records shall not be liable for the improper release of the records when the records: (1) Were released to a professional photocopier for the production of records under authorization or subpoena or other means. (2) Were certified pursuant to this section.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026