(a) Any person who knowingly possesses, or keeps, stores, or retains for the purpose of sale, or sells or offers to sell, any package of cigarettes to which there is not affixed the stamp or meter impression required to be affixed under this part, when those cigarettes have been obtained from any source whatever, is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall for each offense be fined an amount not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or be imprisoned for a period not to exceed one year in the county jail, or, at the discretion of the court, be subject to both fine and imprisonment in the county jail.
(b) In addition to the fine or sentence, or both, each person convicted under this section shall pay one hundred dollars ($100) for each carton of 200 cigarettes, or portion thereof, if that person knowingly possessed, or kept, stored, or retained for the purpose of sale, or sold or offered for sale in violation of this section, as determined by the court. The court shall direct that 50 percent of the penalty assessed be transmitted to the local prosecuting jurisdiction, to be allocated for costs of prosecution, and 50 percent of the penalty assessed be transmitted to the board. The board may collect the penalty due pursuant to this section in the manner prescribed in Section 30483.
(c) This section shall not apply to a licensed distributor that possesses, keeps, stores, or retains cigarettes before the necessary stamp or meter impression is affixed.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 727, Sec. 18. (AB 242) Effective January 1, 2012.)