Published: 2015-07-09
Key Benefits:
(a) Except as provided in Section 12702 and subdivision (b), a person who violates any provision of this part, or any regulations issued pursuant to this part, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) or more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail for not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b) A person who violates any provision of this part, or any regulations issued pursuant to this part, by possessing dangerous fireworks shall be subject to the following:
(1) A person who possesses a gross weight, including packaging, of less than 25 pounds of unaltered dangerous fireworks, as defined in Section 12505, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) or more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail for not exceeding one year, or both that fine and imprisonment. Upon a second or subsequent conviction, a person shall be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(2) A person who possesses a gross weight, including packaging, of not less than 25 pounds or more than 100 pounds of unaltered dangerous fireworks, as defined in Section 12505, is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(3) A person who possesses a gross weight, including packaging, of not less than 100 pounds or more than 5,000 pounds of unaltered dangerous fireworks, as defined in Section 12505, is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code or a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(4) A person who possesses a gross weight, including packaging, of more than 5,000 pounds of unaltered dangerous fireworks, as defined in Section 12505, is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, or a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(c) Subdivision (b) shall not apply to a person who holds and is operating within the scope of a valid license as described in Section 12516 or valid permit as described in Section 12522.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 184. Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.)
A person is guilty of a separate offense for each day during which he or she commits, continues, or permits a violation of this part, or any order or regulation issued pursuant to this part.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 538, Sec. 371. Effective January 1, 2007.)
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 12700:
(a) A person who violates this part by selling, giving, or delivering any dangerous fireworks to any person under 18 years of age is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon a first conviction shall be punished as prescribed in subdivision (b) of Section 12700.
(b) Upon a second or subsequent conviction of the offense, the person shall be punished by an additional fine of five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year or by both that fine and imprisonment. The person shall not be granted probation and the execution of the sentence imposed upon the person shall not be suspended by the court.
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 563, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2008.)
(a) The State Fire Marshal shall, in conjunction with the Department of Motor Vehicles, develop regulations and procedures to temporarily suspend the commercial motor vehicle license of a person who is operating a commercial motor vehicle while transporting unaltered dangerous fireworks, as defined in Section 12505, having a gross weight, including packaging, of 10,000 pounds or more.
(b) A driver of a commercial motor vehicle shall not operate a commercial motor vehicle for three years if the driver is convicted of transporting unaltered dangerous fireworks, as defined in Section 12505, having a gross weight, including packaging, of 10,000 pounds or more, as described in Section 15301 of the Vehicle Code.
(c) This section shall not apply to a person who holds and is operating within the scope of a valid license as described in Section 12516 or valid permit as described in Section 12522.
(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 563, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 2008.)
The State Fire Marshal, at least once a year and in consultation with the Attorney General, shall serve notice to any individual or business known to supply fireworks that any unauthorized shipments of fireworks into California will result in an immediate report to federal authorities with a request for any relevant federal prosecution.
(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 563, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 2008.)
Notwithstanding Section 1463 of the Penal Code, all fines and forfeitures imposed by or collected in any court of this state, except for administrative fines described in Section 12557, as a result of citations issued by a public safety agency, for any violation of subdivision (b) of Section 12700 or of any regulation adopted pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 12700, shall be deposited, as soon as practicable after the receipt of the fine or forfeiture, with the county treasurer of the county in which the court is situated. Amounts deposited pursuant to this section shall be paid at least once a month as follows:
(a) Sixty-five percent to the Treasurer, by warrant of the county auditor drawn upon the requisition of the clerk or judge of the court, for deposit in the State Fire Marshal Fireworks Enforcement and Disposal Fund, as described in Section 12728, on order of the Controller. At the time of the transmittal, the county auditor shall forward to the Controller, on the form or forms prescribed by the Controller, a record of the imposition, collection, and payments of the fines or forfeitures.
(b) Thirty-five percent to the local public safety agency in the county in which the offense was committed to reimburse the local public safety agency for expenses, including, but not limited to, the costs for handling, processing, photographing, and storing seized dangerous fireworks.
(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 563, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 2008.)
