California · Business and Professions Code - BPC

BPC §7502.2: (a) A financial institution or a buy-here-pay-here dealer, as defined by Section 241 of the Vehicle Code, that knowingly engages a nonexempt unlicensed person to repossess collateral on its behalf is

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Financial institutions and buy-here-pay-here dealers that knowingly hire unlicensed, nonexempt people to repossess collateral are guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a $5,000 fine.

Read the full statutory text
(a) A financial institution or a buy-here-pay-here dealer, as defined by Section 241 of the Vehicle Code, that knowingly engages a nonexempt unlicensed person to repossess collateral on its behalf is guilty of a misdemeanor, and is punishable by a fine of five thousand dollars ($5,000). (b) Within existing resources, the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation may designate employees to investigate and report on violations of this section by any of the licensees of their department. Those employees are authorized to actively cooperate with the bureau in the investigation of those activities. (c) A proceeding to impose the fine specified in subdivision (a) may be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General or by any district attorney or city attorney, or with the consent of the district attorney, by the city prosecutor in any city or city and county having a full-time city prosecutor, for the jurisdiction in which the violation occurred. If the action is brought by a district attorney, the penalty collected shall be paid to the treasurer of the county in which the judgment is entered. If the action is brought by a city attorney or city prosecutor, one-half of the penalty collected shall be paid to the treasurer of the city in which the judgment was entered and one-half to the treasurer of the county in which the judgment was entered. If the action is brought by the Attorney General, all of the penalty collected shall be deposited in the Private Security Services Fund.

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.