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California · Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC

RTC §6263: No person, other than the manufacturer who has received authorization to sell the motor vehicle in California or a person authorized by the manufacturer, shall install a vehicle emission control label

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

It is illegal for unauthorized persons to install, remove, alter, deface, obscure, or destroy vehicle emission control labels. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and/or fines up to $5,000.

Read the full statutory text
No person, other than the manufacturer who has received authorization to sell the motor vehicle in California or a person authorized by the manufacturer, shall install a vehicle emission control label on any motor vehicle. No person shall remove, alter, deface, obscure, or destroy a vehicle emission control label or any label required to be affixed to any motor vehicle certified pursuant to the National Emissions Standards Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 7521 et seq., and Subpart A (commencing with Sec. 86.078-3) of Part 86 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations). Any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or both that fine and imprisonment.

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.