(a) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, or who conspires with another person to violate any provision of this chapter, or who knowingly engages a nonexempt or unlicensed locksmith after being notified in writing by the bureau of the individual’s unlicensed status with the bureau, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(b) A proceeding to impose the fine specified in subdivision (a) may be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General or by any district attorney or city attorney, or with the consent of the district attorney, the city prosecutor in any city or city and county having a full-time city prosecutor for the jurisdiction in which the violation occurred. If the action is brought by the district attorney, the penalty collected shall be paid to the treasurer of the county in which the judgment is entered. If the action is brought by a city attorney or city prosecutor, one-half of the penalty collected shall be paid to the treasurer of the city in which the judgment was entered and one-half to the treasurer of the county in which the judgment was entered. If the action is brought by the Attorney General, all of the penalty collected shall be deposited in the Private Security Services Fund.
(c) Any person who is convicted of a violation of this section or Section 6980.10 shall not be issued a license for a period of one year following a first conviction and shall not be issued a license for a period of five years following a second or subsequent conviction of this section or Section 6980.10 or any combination of those sections.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the prosecuting officer of any county or city shall prosecute all violations of this chapter occurring within his or her jurisdiction.
(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 679, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2009.)