(a) The director, if the automotive repair dealer cannot show there was a bona fide error, may deny, suspend, revoke, or place on probation the registration of an automotive repair dealer for any of the following acts or omissions related to the conduct of the business of the automotive repair dealer, which are done by the automotive repair dealer or any automotive technician, employee, partner, officer, or member of the automotive repair dealer:

(1) Making or authorizing in any manner or by any means whatever any statement written or oral which is untrue or misleading, and which is known, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should be known, to be untrue or misleading.

(2) Causing or allowing a customer to sign any work order that does not state the repairs requested by the customer or the automobile’s odometer reading at the time of repair.

(3) Failing or refusing to give to a customer a copy of any document requiring the customer’s signature as soon as the customer signs the document.

(4) Any other conduct that constitutes fraud.

(5) Conduct constituting gross negligence.

(6) Failure in any material respect to comply with the provisions of this chapter or regulations adopted pursuant to it.

(7) Any willful departure from or disregard of accepted trade standards for good and workmanlike repair in any material respect, which is prejudicial to another without consent of the owner or the owner’s duly authorized representative.

(8) Making false promises of a character likely to influence, persuade, or induce a customer to authorize the repair, service, or maintenance of automobiles.

(9) Having repair work done by someone other than the dealer or the dealer’s employees without the knowledge or consent of the customer unless the dealer can demonstrate that the customer could not reasonably have been notified.

(10) Conviction of a violation of § 551 of the Penal Code.

Upon denying a registration, the director shall notify the applicant thereof, in writing, by personal service or mail addressed to the address of the applicant set forth in the application, and the applicant shall be given a hearing under Section 9884.12 if, within 30 days thereafter, the applicant files with the bureau a written request for hearing, otherwise the denial is deemed affirmed.

(b) Except as provided for in subdivision (c), if an automotive repair dealer operates more than one place of business in this state, the director pursuant to subdivision (a) shall only suspend, revoke, or place on probation the registration of the specific place of business which has violated any of the provisions of this chapter. This violation, or action by the director, shall not affect in any manner the right of the automotive repair dealer to operate the automotive repair dealer’s other places of business.

(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the director may suspend, revoke, or place on probation the registration for all places of business operated in this state by an automotive repair dealer upon a finding that the automotive repair dealer has, or is, engaged in a course of repeated and willful violations of this chapter, or regulations adopted pursuant to it.

(d) (1) The director shall establish through regulation a program to certify providers of remedial training for automotive repair dealers who have violated this chapter, employees of automotive repair dealers who have violated this chapter, and persons identified pursuant to Section 9884 as directly or indirectly controlling or conducting an automotive repair dealer business that has violated this chapter.

(2) Remedial training shall be available only for violations involving documentation or recordkeeping, or that the bureau determines to be minor in nature. Remedial training shall not be available if the violation constitutes fraud.

(e) For purposes of this section, “fraud” includes, but is not limited to, violations of this chapter involving misrepresentations and all of the following:

(1) Any act or omission that is included within the definition of either “actual fraud” or “constructive fraud,” as those terms are defined in Sections 1572 and 1573 of the Civil Code.

(2) A misrepresentation in any manner, whether intentionally false or due to gross negligence, of a material fact.

(3) A promise or representation not made honestly and in good faith.

(4) An intentional failure to disclose a material fact.

(5) Any act in violation of § 484 of the Penal Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 372, Sec. 4. (AB 471) Effective January 1, 2022.)