§ 12996

(a) Every person who violates any provision of this division relating to pesticides, or any regulation issued pursuant to a provision of this division relating to pesticides, is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or by imprisonment of not more than six months, or by both the fine and imprisonment. Upon a second or subsequent conviction of the same provision of this division relating to pesticides, a person shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) nor more than seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000), or by imprisonment of not more than six months, or by both the fine and imprisonment. Each violation constitutes a separate offense.

(b) Notwithstanding the penalties prescribed in subdivision (a), if the offense involves an intentional or negligent violation that created or reasonably could have created a hazard to human health or the environment, the convicted person shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or in the state prison or by a fine of not less than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) nor more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.

(c) This section does not apply to violations of Chapter 7.5 (commencing with Section 15300) or Section 13186.5.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 574, Sec. 4. (AB 211) Effective September 27, 2022.)