(a) For purposes of this section, “motor vehicle fuel distributor” means any person who (1) refines, blends, or otherwise produces motor vehicle fuel, or (2) with an ownership interest in the fuel, transports or causes the transport of motor vehicle fuel at any point between a production or import facility and a retail outlet, or sells, offers for sale, or supplies motor vehicle fuel to motor vehicle fuel retailers.
(b) Any motor vehicle fuel distributor who conducts business within the state shall, annually on January 1, inform the state board in writing of the distributor’s principal place of business, which shall be a physical address and not a post office box, and any other place of business at which distributor records are maintained or refining activities are conducted.
(c) The state board shall supply each complying motor vehicle fuel distributor with a certificate of compliance with this section not later than June 30. The certificate shall be effective from July 1 of the year of issuance through June 30 of the following year.
(d) All motor vehicle fuel distributors shall maintain complete records of each purchase, delivery, or supply of motor vehicle fuel for a period of not less than two years in the physical locations reported pursuant to subdivision (b) and shall not move the records to another physical location without notifying the state board of the new location. A complete record for each delivery shall consist of not less than a copy, or the information contained therein, of the bills of lading from the refinery or bulk terminal from which the fuel is received, the delivery ticket or receipt showing the location of the fuel at the time of sale, and the invoice showing the purchaser of the fuel. All those records may be kept in physical or electronic format and are subject to inspection and duplication by the state board.
(e) Any motor vehicle fuel distributor who intentionally fails to comply with subdivision (b) or (d) is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each day of noncompliance.
(f) No person shall knowingly transport motor vehicle fuel for any motor vehicle fuel distributor who is not in possession of a current certificate of compliance as described in subdivision (c). Any person who transports, or provides vehicles to transport, motor vehicle fuel for a noncomplying distributor is liable for a civil penalty not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per day. However, any person who transports, or provides vehicles to transport, motor vehicle fuel for a distributor who is in possession of a current certificate of compliance shall not be liable for any penalties under this subdivision unless that person has specific knowledge of noncompliance.
(g) Any retailer who knowingly sells or supplies motor vehicle fuel which was delivered to the retailer by, or on behalf of, a noncomplying motor vehicle fuel distributor is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each transaction.
(h) Any retailer who sells motor vehicle fuel that does not comply with regulations of the state board, after both oral and written notice to cease and desist have been delivered to the owner, manager, or attendant on duty at the retailer facility, and upon failure to comply with that notice, is subject to the issuance of a cease and desist order by the state board and a penalty of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each day of noncompliance with the cease and desist order.
(i) The state board shall annually compile and publish a complete listing of all certified motor vehicle fuel distributors, and shall mail a copy to every licensed transporter of petroleum products.
(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 966, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1996.)