California · Food and Agricultural Code - FAC

FAC §14655: (a) Any lot of fertilizing material for which a hold order or notice is issued shall be held by the person having control of the material and shall not be distributed or moved except under the specifi

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Moving, distributing, or selling quarantined fertilizing material without secretary approval is a misdemeanor with fines up to $5,000 for first offense, or $10,000+ for repeat violations.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Any lot of fertilizing material for which a hold order or notice is issued shall be held by the person having control of the material and shall not be distributed or moved except under the specific directions of the secretary, pending final disposition pursuant to this chapter. This does not prevent the person who has control of the material from inspecting any seized material or from taking a reasonable sample for evidence while in the presence of a person designated by the secretary. (b) The movement, distribution, or sale of all or part of any product by the person having control of the material that has been quarantined by the secretary, unless the movement, distribution, or sale has the prior approval of the secretary, is a violation subject to a civil penalty as specified in Section 14651.5, or a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000). A second or subsequent violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

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.