Article
3.5. Automotive Maintenance Provider Registration
9884.23.
(a) An automotive maintenance provider shall pay the fee required by this chapter for each place of business operated by the provider in this state and shall register with the director upon forms prescribed by the director. The forms shall contain sufficient information to identify the automotive maintenance provider, including name, address of each location, a statement by the provider that each location is in an area that, pursuant to local zoning ordinances, permits the operation of a facility for the maintenance of motor vehicles, the provider’s retail seller’s permit number, if a permit is required under the Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1 (commencing with Section 6001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code), and other identifying data that are
prescribed by the director. If the business is to be carried on under a fictitious name, the fictitious name shall be stated. To the extent prescribed by the director, an automotive maintenance provider shall identify the owners, directors, officers, partners, members, trustees, managers, and any other persons who directly or indirectly control or conduct the business. The forms shall include a statement signed by the provider under penalty of perjury that the information provided is true.(b) A state agency is not authorized or required by this section to enforce a city, county, regional, air pollution control district, or air quality management district rule or regulation regarding the site or operation of a facility that provides maintenance to motor vehicles.
9884.24.
A business maintaining more than one automotive maintenance facility shall be permitted to file a single application annually that, along with the other information required by this chapter, clearly indicates the location of, and the individual in charge of, each facility. In that case, fees shall be paid for each location.9884.25.
Upon receipt of the properly completed form and the required fee, the director shall issue the registration and send a proof of issuance to the automotive maintenance provider. The director shall by regulation prescribe conditions that he or she determines are necessary to ensure future compliance with the parts of this chapter specific to automotive maintenance providers, pursuant to which a person whose registration has previously been revoked or denied or who has committed acts prohibited by Section 9884.30 while an automotive maintenance provider or automotive technician, or while an employee, partner, officer, or member of an automotive maintenance provider, may have his or her registration issued.9884.26.
Every automotive maintenance provider registration shall cease to be valid one year from the last day of the month in which registration was issued unless the automotive maintenance provider has paid the renewal fee required by this chapter.9884.27.
An automotive maintenance provider registration shall cease to be valid when the director finds that any of the information provided by the form specified in Section 9884.23 for automotive maintenance providers, which the director by regulation deems material, ceases to be current.9884.28.
An automotive maintenance provider registration that is not renewed within three years following its expiration shall not be renewed, restored, or reinstated thereafter, and the delinquent registration shall be canceled immediately upon expiration of the three-year period.An automotive maintenance provider whose registration has been canceled by operation of this section shall obtain a new registration only if he or she again meets the requirements set forth in this chapter relating to registration, is not subject to denial under Section 480, and pays the applicable fees.
An expired registration may be renewed at any time within three years after its expiration upon the filing of an application for
renewal on a form prescribed by the bureau and the payment of all accrued renewal and delinquency fees. Renewal under this section shall be effective on the date on which the application is filed and all renewal and delinquency fees are paid. If so renewed, the registration shall continue in effect through the expiration date of the current registration year as provided in Section 9884.26, at which time the registration shall be subject to renewal.
9884.29.
It is unlawful for any person to be an automotive maintenance provider unless that person has registered in accordance with this chapter and unless that registration is currently valid.9884.30.
(a) The director, where the automotive maintenance provider cannot show there was a bona fide error, may deny, suspend, revoke, or place on probation the registration of an automotive maintenance provider for any of the following acts or omissions related to the conduct of the business of the automotive maintenance provider that are performed by the automotive maintenance provider or any automotive technician, employee, partner, officer, or member of the automotive maintenance provider:(1) Making or authorizing in any manner or by any means whatever any statement written or oral which is untrue or misleading and which is known, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should be known, to be
untrue or misleading.
(2) Any other conduct that constitutes fraud.
(3) Conduct constituting gross negligence.
(4) Failure in any material respect to comply with the provisions of this chapter specific to automotive maintenance providers or regulations adopted pursuant to it.
(5) Any willful departure from or disregard of accepted trade standards for automotive maintenance in any material respect.
(6) Making false promises of a character likely to influence, persuade, or induce a customer to authorize the maintenance of automobiles.
(7) Upon denying a registration, the director shall notify the applicant thereof, in writing,
by personal service or mail addressed to the address of the applicant set forth in the application, and the applicant shall be given a hearing under Section 9884.33 if, within 30 days thereafter, he or she files with the bureau a written request for a hearing; otherwise the denial is deemed affirmed.
(b) Except as provided for in subdivision (c), if an automotive maintenance provider operates more than one place of business in this state, the director pursuant to subdivision (a) shall only suspend, revoke, or place on probation the registration of the specific place of business which has violated any of the provisions of this chapter. This violation, or action by the director, shall not affect in any manner the right of the automotive maintenance provider to operate his or her other places of business.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the director may suspend, revoke, or place
on probation the registration for all places of business operated in this state by an automotive maintenance provider upon a finding that the provider has, or is, engaged in a course of repeated and willful violations of this chapter specific to automotive maintenance providers or regulations adopted pursuant to it.
9884.31.
All work done by an automotive maintenance provider shall be recorded on an invoice and shall describe all service work done and parts supplied. Service work and parts shall be listed separately on the invoice, which shall also state separately the subtotal prices for service work and for parts, not including sales tax, and shall state separately the sales tax, if any, applicable to each. One copy of the invoice shall be given to the customer and one copy shall be retained either in hard copy or digitally by the automotive maintenance provider.9884.32.
Each automotive maintenance provider shall maintain any records that are required by regulations adopted to carry out the parts of this chapter specific to automotive maintenance providers. Those records shall be open for reasonable inspection by the chief or other law enforcement officials. All of those records shall be maintained for at least three years.9884.33.
All proceedings to deny, suspend, revoke, or place on probation a registration of an automotive maintenance provider shall be conducted pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.9884.34.
The expiration of a valid registration shall not prevent the director or chief of jurisdiction from proceeding with any investigation or disciplinary proceeding against an automotive maintenance provider or rendering a decision invalidating a registration temporarily or permanently.9884.35.
The superior court in and for the county wherein any person carries on, or attempts to carry on, a business as an automotive maintenance provider or as an automotive technician in violation of the provisions of this chapter specific to automotive maintenance providers or any regulation made pursuant to this chapter shall, on application of the director or the chief, issue an injunction or other appropriate order restraining such conduct. This section shall be cumulative to and shall not prohibit the enforcement of any other law.The proceedings under this section shall be governed by Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 525) of Title 7 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, except that the director or chief shall not be required to allege
facts necessary to show or tending to show lack of an adequate remedy at law or irreparable injury.
9884.36.
The director may file charges with the district attorney or city attorney against any automotive maintenance provider who violates the provisions of this chapter specific to automotive maintenance providers or any regulation made pursuant to the provisions of this chapter specific to automotive maintenance providers.9884.37.
The bureau shall design and approve of a sign which shall be placed in all automotive maintenance provider locations in a place and manner conspicuous to the public. That sign shall give notice that inquiries concerning service may be made to the bureau and shall contain the telephone number and Internet Web site address of the bureau. The sign shall also give notice that the customer is entitled to a return of replaced parts upon his or her request at the time the work order is taken.9884.38.
Nothing in the provisions of this chapter shall prohibit the bringing of a civil action against an automotive maintenance provider by an individual.9884.39.
The bureau may adopt, amend, or repeal in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code such regulations as may be reasonably necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter specific to automotive maintenance providers.9884.40.
All accusations against automotive maintenance providers shall be filed within three years after the performance of the act or omission alleged as the ground for disciplinary action, except that with respect to an accusation alleging fraud or misrepresentation as a ground for disciplinary action, the accusation may be filed within two years after the discovery, by the bureau, of the alleged facts constituting the fraud or misrepresentation.9884.41.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the director may, in his or her sole discretion, issue a probationary automotive maintenance provider registration to an applicant subject to terms and conditions deemed appropriate by the director, including, but not limited to, the following:(1) Continuing medical, psychiatric, or psychological treatment.
(2) Ongoing participation in a specified rehabilitation program.
(3) Abstention from the use of alcohol or drugs.
(4) Compliance with all provisions of this chapter.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, and for purposes of this section, when deciding whether to issue a probationary registration the director shall request that an applicant with a dismissed conviction provide proof of that dismissal and shall give special consideration to applicants whose convictions have been dismissed pursuant to Section 1203.4 or 1203.4a of the Penal Code.
(2) The director shall also take into account and consider any other reasonable documents or individual character references provided by the applicant that may serve as evidence of rehabilitation as deemed appropriate by the director.
(c) The director may modify or terminate the terms and conditions imposed on the probationary registration upon receipt of a petition from the applicant or registrant.
(d) For purposes of issuing a probationary registration to qualified new applicants, the director shall develop standard terms of probation that shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) A three-year limit on the individual probationary registration.
(2) A process to obtain a standard registration for applicants who were issued a probationary registration.
(3) Supervision requirements.
(4) Compliance and quarterly reporting requirements.
9884.42.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the director may revoke, suspend, or deny at any time any automotive maintenance provider registration required by this chapter on any of the grounds for disciplinary action provided in this chapter. The proceedings under this chapter shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the director shall have all the powers granted therein.(b) The director may deny a registration to an applicant on any of the grounds specified in Section 480.
(c) In addition to the requirements provided in Sections 485 and 486,
upon denial of an application for registration to an applicant, the director shall provide a statement of reasons for the denial that does all of the following:
(1) Evaluates evidence of rehabilitation submitted by the applicant, if any.
(2) Provides the director’s criteria relating to rehabilitation, formulated pursuant to Section 482, that takes into account the age and severity of the offense and the evidence relating to participation in treatment or other rehabilitation programs.
(3) If the director’s decision was based on the applicant’s prior criminal conviction, justifies the director’s denial of a registration and conveys the reasons why the prior criminal conviction is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a registered automotive maintenance provider.
(d) (1) If the denial of a registration is due at least in part to the applicant’s state or federal criminal history record, the director shall, in addition to the information provided pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), provide to the applicant a copy of his or her criminal history record if the applicant makes a written request to the director for a copy, specifying an address to which it is to be sent.
(A) The state or federal criminal history record shall not be modified or altered from its form or content as provided by the Department of Justice.
(B) The criminal history record shall be provided in such a manner as to protect the confidentiality and privacy of the applicant’s criminal history record, and the criminal history record shall not be made available by the director to any
employer.
(C) The director shall retain a copy of the applicant’s written request and a copy of the response sent to the applicant, which shall include the date and the address to which the response was sent.
(2) The director shall make that information available upon request by the Department of Justice or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(e) Notwithstanding Section 487, the director shall conduct a hearing of a registration denial within 90 days of receiving an applicant’s request for a hearing. For all other hearing requests, the director shall determine when the hearing shall be conducted.