California · Business and Professions Code - BPC

BPC §13531: (a) (1) Every person offering for sale or selling any motor vehicle fuel to the public from any place of business shall display on the premises an advertising medium that complies with the requirement

Infraction

What this law says, in plain English

Fuel retailers must display visible price advertising for major fuel grades on premises. First violations are infractions; repeat offenders (3+ convictions) may face misdemeanor charges.

Read the full statutory text
(a) (1) Every person offering for sale or selling any motor vehicle fuel to the public from any place of business shall display on the premises an advertising medium that complies with the requirements of this article and that advertises the total prices of the three major grades of motor vehicle fuel offered for sale. (2) The advertising medium shall be clearly visible from the street or highway adjacent to the premises. When the place of business is situated at an intersection, the advertising medium shall be clearly visible from each street of the intersection. (3) For purposes of this subdivision, motor vehicle fuel does not include propane or dimethyl ether-propane fuel blend. (4) For purposes of this subdivision, electricity and natural gas sold as a motor vehicle fuel shall meet only the requirements adopted pursuant to Sections 13404 and 13404.5. (b) The governing body of any city, county, or city and county may, by ordinance, exempt specified geographic areas from the provisions of this section if, pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 65300) of Chapter 3 of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code, the areas are designated on the local general plan as scenic corridors or historic preservation areas. (c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any person who violates the provisions of subdivision (a) is guilty of an infraction and, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500). (2) Any person who violates the provisions of subdivision (a) and who has been previously convicted two or more times of a violation of subdivision (a) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both. (d) Notwithstanding Section 13590, the district attorney of each county, or pursuant to Section 41803.5 of the Government Code, the city attorney of any general law city or chartered city within each county, or the county sealer, shall, upon complaint or upon their own motion, enforce the provisions of this section and, in addition, may bring an action for injunctive relief in accordance with Section 13611.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.