California · Health and Safety Code - HSC

HSC §17061: (a) Any person who violates, or causes another person to violate, any provision of this part is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), or impriso

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Violating this part is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $2,000 or 180 days jail. Willful violations causing personal injury are punishable by 2–4 years imprisonment. Civil penalties of $300–$1,000 per violation also apply.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Any person who violates, or causes another person to violate, any provision of this part is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), or imprisonment for not more than 180 days, or both, for each violation of this part, provided that the violation does not cause personal injury to any person. (b) Any person who willfully violates, or causes another person to violate, any provision of this part, provided that the violation causes personal injury to any person, is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine of not less than four thousand dollars ($4,000), but not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment for each violation, or each day of a continuing violation, causing personal injury. This subdivision shall not be construed to preclude, or in any way limit, the applicability of any other law in any criminal prosecution. (c) Any person who violates any provision of this part shall be liable for a civil penalty of not less than three hundred dollars ($300), nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), for each violation or for each day of a continuing violation. The amount of the civil penalty may be doubled, to a limit of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), for each violation or for each day of a continuing violation if the court determines that the violation was willful, or if the court finds that the person received notice from an enforcement agency within the prior three years regarding any employee housing owned or operated by that person, and the violations are so extensive and of such a nature that the immediate health and safety of the residents or the public is endangered or has been endangered. The enforcement agency, or any person or entity affected by the violation, may institute or maintain an action in the appropriate court to collect any civil penalty arising under this subdivision and may be awarded reasonable costs and attorney’s fees incurred in proving the existence of each violation and the liability for the civil penalties.

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.