(1) The rightful owner of any shopping cart with a registered name or mark found on public property shall be immediately notified of its recovery.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or local ordinance, no fee, fine, or costs may be assessed against the owner of a shopping cart unless the shopping cart was found on public property and was removed from the premises or parking area of a retail establishment by the owner of the shopping cart, or an employee acting on the owner’s behalf, and the fee, fine, or cost has been approved by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This subsection shall not apply to any ordinance adopted after January 31, 2002, and prior to June 30, 2002, that requires a business establishment to install a retention system to retain shopping carts within the real property boundaries of a business location.
History.—s. 12, ch. 98-396; s. 6, ch. 2006-165.