Section 19. Any contractor or subcontractor who shall knowingly, willfully, or negligently operate without obtaining a certificate of registration as required by this chapter and who is not otherwise exempt from the registration requirement or any contractor or subcontractor who continues to operate after revocation of or during suspension of, or who fails to renew his certificate of registration, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or imprisonment not exceeding two years, or both.
Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any of the provisions of this chapter, with respect to which a greater penalty is not otherwise provided by the provisions of this chapter or by any other law may be punished by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year or both.
Such fines and imprisonment shall be in addition to any administrative penalty otherwise applicable thereto and may be sought in an action brought by the attorney general or the district attorney.