California · Fish and Game Code - FGC

FGC §12002.3: (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a violation of Section 7121 for the sale, purchase, or receipt of fish taken by a person required to be licensed pursuant to Section 7145 is punishable

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Selling, purchasing, or receiving unlicensed-caught fish is punishable by fines ranging from $2,000 to $7,500, with higher penalties for abalone or commercial purposes.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a violation of Section 7121 for the sale, purchase, or receipt of fish taken by a person required to be licensed pursuant to Section 7145 is punishable by a fine of not less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more than seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500), except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c). (b) If the violation in question involved the illegal sale or purchase of abalone taken by a person required to be licensed pursuant to Section 7145, the violation is punishable by a fine of not less than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or more than forty thousand dollars ($40,000). (c) If the violation in question involved a person who knowingly purchased or received for commercial purposes, fish taken by a person required to be licensed pursuant to Section 7145, the violation is punishable by a fine of not less than seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500) or more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

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.