(a) In addition to or in lieu of any other remedy or penalty, including, but not limited to, education, training, or an office conference, the department may issue a citation to a licensee, contractor, or fleet owner for a violation of the requirements of this chapter or a regulation adopted pursuant to this chapter. The citation may contain an order of abatement or the assessment of an administrative fine, or both.
(b) An administrative fine issued pursuant to this section shall be at least one hundred dollars ($100) but not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each violation. In assessing a fine, the department shall give due consideration to the appropriateness of the amount of the fine, including an evaluation of all of the following:
(1) The nature, gravity, severity, and seriousness of the violation.
(2) The persistence of the violation.
(3) The good faith or willfulness of the violator.
(4) The history of previous violations by that violator, including the commission of numerous and repeated violations.
(5) The failure to perform work for which money was received.
(6) The making of any false or misleading statement in order to induce a person to authorize repair work or pay money.
(7) The failure to make restitution to consumers affected by the violation.
(8) The extent to which the violator has mitigated or attempted to mitigate any damage or injury caused by the violation.
(9) The degree of incompetence or negligence in the performance of duties and responsibilities.
(10) The purposes and goals of this chapter and other matters as may be appropriate.
(c) An order of abatement issued pursuant to this section shall fix a reasonable time for abatement of the violation. An order of abatement may require any or all of the following:
(1) The licensee, contractor, or fleet owner to whom the citation is issued to demonstrate how future compliance with this chapter, and regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, will be accomplished. This demonstration may include, but is not limited to, submission of a corrective action plan.
(2) The smog check technician to successfully complete one or more retraining courses prescribed by the department pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 44031.5, or successfully complete one or more advanced retraining courses prescribed by the department, or both.
(3) The smog check technician to perform no inspection or repair pursuant to this chapter until training courses prescribed by the department are successfully completed.
(d) A citation issued pursuant to this section shall be in writing and shall describe the nature of the violation and the specific provision of law determined to have been violated. The citation shall inform in writing the licensee, contractor, or fleet owner of the right to request a hearing, as described in Section 44051. If a hearing is not requested, payment of the administrative fine shall not constitute an admission of the violation charged. If a hearing is requested, the department shall provide a hearing in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, except insofar as those provisions are inconsistent with the provisions of this article. Payment of the administrative fine shall be due 30 days after the citation was issued if a hearing is not requested, or when a final order is entered if a hearing is requested. The department may enforce the administrative fine as if it were a money judgment pursuant to Title 9 (commencing with Section 680.010) of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(e) Failure to comply with an order of abatement or payment of an administrative fine issued by the department pursuant to this section is grounds for suspension or revocation of the license, or placing the licensee on probation.
(f) The department shall adopt regulations to establish procedures, including a penalty schedule, for assessing fines or penalties for violations of a requirement of this chapter or a regulation adopted pursuant to this chapter.
(g) Administrative fines collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the High Polluter Repair or Removal Account within the Vehicle Inspection and Repair Fund.
(Repealed and added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 258, Sec. 12. (AB 2289) Effective January 1, 2011.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018