(a) In addition to an administrative fine pursuant to Section 44050, any person who violates this chapter, or any order, rule, or regulation of the department adopted pursuant to this chapter, is liable for a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each day in which each violation occurs. Any action to recover civil penalties shall be brought by the Attorney General in the name of the state on behalf of the department, or may be brought by any district attorney, city attorney, or attorney for a district. In assessing a civil penalty pursuant to this subdivision, due consideration shall be given to the factors identified in subdivision (b) of Section 44050.
(b) The penalties specified in subdivision (a) do not apply to an owner or operator of a motor vehicle, except an owner or operator who does any of the following:
(1) Obtains, or who attempts to obtain, a certificate of compliance or noncompliance, a repair cost waiver, or an economic hardship extension without complying with Section 44015.
(2) Obtains, or attempts to obtain, a certificate of compliance, a repair cost waiver, or an economic hardship extension by means of fraud, including, but not limited to, offering or giving any form of financial or other inducement to any person for the purpose of obtaining a certificate of compliance for a vehicle that has not been tested or has been tested improperly.
(3) Registers a motor vehicle at an address other than the owner’s or operator’s residence address for the purpose of avoiding the requirements of this chapter.
(4) Obtains, or attempts to obtain, a certificate of compliance by other means when required to report to the test-only facility after being identified as a tampered vehicle or gross polluter pursuant to Section 44015 or 44081.
(c) Any person who obtains or attempts to obtain a repair cost waiver, or economic hardship extension pursuant to this chapter by falsifying information shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), and shall be made ineligible for receiving any repair assistance of any kind pursuant to this chapter.
(d) Any person who obtains or attempts to obtain a certificate of compliance pursuant to this chapter by falsifying information shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 258, Sec. 21. (AB 2289) Effective January 1, 2011.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018