California · Food and Agricultural Code - FAC

FAC §12648.5: (a) It is unlawful for the owner of a plant, crop, or commodity to knowingly treat or apply to that plant, crop, or commodity, or cause that plant, crop, or commodity to be treated or applied, with a

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

It is unlawful to knowingly treat plants or crops with stolen or illegally obtained pesticides. Violators face a $10,000 fine plus one-half the crop's market value.

Read the full statutory text
(a) It is unlawful for the owner of a plant, crop, or commodity to knowingly treat or apply to that plant, crop, or commodity, or cause that plant, crop, or commodity to be treated or applied, with a pesticide that was stolen or otherwise acquired by illegal means. (b) The owner of a crop, who is found by a court to have violated this section, in addition to any other penalties imposed by a court, shall be subject to a fine of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) plus an amount equal to one-half the value of the crop on which the illegally obtained pesticide was applied. (c) For purposes of this section, “one-half the value of the crop” means one-half the market value of the crop that was actually treated with the illegally obtained pesticide as determined by the actual sale of the crop or, if the crop is not actually sold, as determined by the director based on an average of the typical market value for such a crop sold in the normal channels of trade in the year in which the crop was produced and in the preceding two years. (d) Moneys received as a result of fines and penalties imposed pursuant to this section shall be divided and distributed as follows: (1) Fifty percent to the county in which the case was brought to court or in which a court-approved settlement of the matter was negotiated. (2) Twenty-five percent to the office of the county agricultural commissioner. (3) Twenty-five percent to the department.

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.