(a) The chief or his or her designee may issue a citation, in accordance with Section 148, against a person who is not otherwise exempt under this chapter and is acting or offering to act in the capacity of a licensee, registrant, permitholder, or certificate holder under this chapter without a valid license, registration, permit, or certificate, as applicable, under this chapter.
(b) The chief or his or her designee may issue a citation against a person who places, or causes to be placed, an advertisement in any written, printed, or verbal communication for the purposes of soliciting business as an alarm company operator without a license under or an exemption from this chapter.
(c) A citation issued under this section may contain an assessment of an administrative fine up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) or, where appropriate, an order of abatement fixing a reasonable period of time not to exceed 30 days for abatement, or both that fine and order of abatement.
(d) A citation issued under this section shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Be in writing and describe with particularity the nature of the violation, including specific reference to the provision of this chapter or the regulation adopted thereunder determined to have been violated.
(2) Inform the cited person that if he or she desires a hearing to contest the finding of a violation, that hearing shall be requested by written notice to the bureau within 30 days of the issuance of the citation.
(3) Inform the cited person that if he or she desires an informal conference with the chief or his or her designee to contest the finding of a violation, that informal conference shall be requested by written notice to the bureau within 10 days of the issuance of the citation.
(4) Be served upon the cited person in person or by certified mail.
(e) The chief or his or her designee shall consider the following factors when determining the amount of an administrative fine under this section:
(1) The good or bad faith exhibited by the cited person.
(2) The nature and severity of the violation.
(3) Evidence that the violation was willful.
(4) History of violations of the same or similar nature.
(5) The extent to which the cited person has cooperated with the bureau.
(6) The extent to which the cited person has mitigated or attempted to mitigate any damage or injury caused by his or her violation.
(7) Any other factors as justice may require.
(f) The time allowed for abatement of a citation issued under this section shall begin the first day after the order of abatement has been served. If a cited person who has been issued an order of abatement is unable to complete the correction within the timeframe set forth in the citation because of conditions beyond his or her control after the exercise of reasonable diligence, the person cited may request any extension of time in which to complete the correction from the chief or his or her designee. The request for an extension shall be in writing and shall be made within the timeframe set forth for abatement.
(g) If a person cited pursuant to this section desires a hearing to contest the citation, the cited person shall, within 30 days after service of the citation, file in writing a request for an administrative hearing to the chief or his or her designee regarding the acts charged in the citation, in accordance with paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 125.9.
(h) (1) In addition to, or instead of, requesting an administrative hearing, as provided for in subdivision (d), a person cited pursuant to this section may, within 10 days after service of the citation, contest the citation by submitting a written request for an informal citation conference to the chief or his or her designee.
(2) Upon receipt of a written request for an informal citation conference pursuant to paragraph (1), the chief or his or her designee shall, within 30 days, hold an informal citation conference with the cited person. If an informal citation conference is held, the chief or his or her designee may affirm, modify, or dismiss the citation, including any fine levied or order of abatement issued, at the conclusion of the informal citation conference. If affirmed or modified, the citation originally issued shall be considered withdrawn and an affirmed or modified citation shall be mailed to the cited person and his or her legal counsel, if any, within 15 days of the date of the informal citation conference.
(3) If a cited person wishes to contest a citation that is affirmed or modified pursuant to paragraph (2), the person shall, within 30 days of receiving the affirmed or modified citation, file in writing a request for an administrative hearing to the chief or his or her designee regarding the acts charged in the affirmed or modified citation, in accordance with paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 125.9.
(4) A cited person shall not request a subsequent informal conference with respect to a citation that is modified or affirmed during an informal conference under this subdivision.
(i) When an order of abatement is not contested or if the order is appealed and the person or entity cited does not prevail, failure to abate the violation charged within the timeframe specified in the citation or within 30 days after the appeal, whichever is later, shall constitute a violation and failure to comply with the order of abatement.
(j) This section shall not apply to a violation of this chapter that is subject to Section 7591.9.
(k) The sanctions authorized under this section shall be separate from, and in addition to, all other remedies either civil or criminal.
(l) Administrative fines collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Private Security Services Fund.
(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 291, Sec. 6. (SB 1077) Effective January 1, 2013.)