California · Health and Safety Code - HSC

HSC §25541: Any person or stationary source who knowingly makes any false material statement, representation or certification in any record, report, or other document filed, maintained, or used for the purpose of

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

A person who knowingly makes false statements in compliance records or destroys such records faces fines up to $25,000 per day and/or up to one year in jail; repeat violations can result in imprisonment of one to three years.

Read the full statutory text
Any person or stationary source who knowingly makes any false material statement, representation or certification in any record, report, or other document filed, maintained, or used for the purpose of compliance with this article, or destroys, alters, or conceals any such record, report, or other document filed, maintained, or used for the purpose of compliance with this article, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each day of violation, or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both the fine and the imprisonment. If the conviction is for a violation committed after a first conviction under this section, the person or stationary source shall be punished by a fine of not less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per day of violation, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for one, two, or three years or in a county jail for not more than one year, or both the fine and imprisonment. Furthermore, if the violation results in, or significantly contributes to, an emergency, including a fire, to which the county or city is required to respond, the person or stationary source shall also be assessed the full cost of the county or city emergency response, as well as the cost of cleaning up and disposing of the acutely hazardous materials.

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.