(a) No person shall engage in business as a service agency unless the person is registered by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture pursuant to this chapter and unless the current registration fee and any penalty has been paid.
(b) Applications for registration shall be in writing on a form prescribed by the department, and shall be accompanied by the required fee.
(c) A service agency shall forward to the department the name or names of service agents employed by them, with the appropriate fees required by Section 12535.
(d) A device may only be placed in service by a sealer or a service agency. A device used by a public utility in connection with measuring gas, electricity, water, steam, or communication service subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commission is exempt from the requirements of this chapter.
(e) Except as provided in subdivision (f), no person who repairs a device is required to be registered if the device is placed into service by a sealer or service agency.
(f) Vapor measuring devices operating at greater than 11 inches water column shall be installed by a service agency.
(g) In the event of any change in the legal status of a registered service agency, the new legal entity shall obtain a new registration before operating as a service agency.
(h) A service agency may employ or designate a licensed service agent to act for the service agency and shall be responsible for all acts of that person.
(i) If a device has been altered in such a way as to facilitate fraud, a service agency or service agent shall report it to the county sealer within 24 hours of discovering that the device has been altered. If the service agency or service agent has possession of the device or any mechanism, component, software, or other device attached to or used in conjunction with the device that serves to facilitate fraud, the service agency or service agent shall surrender the device, mechanism, component, software, or other device to the county sealer or local law enforcement within 24 hours of discovering that the device has been altered.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 329, Sec. 2. (AB 2307) Effective January 1, 2017.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018