Any person who knowingly and intentionally owns or operates a chop shop is guilty of a public offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for two, three, or four years, or by a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or by up to one year in the county jail, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.
Chapter 3.5Motor Vehicle Chop Shops
Section § 10801
If someone owns or runs a chop shop on purpose, they're committing a crime. If caught and convicted, they could face two to four years in state prison, a fine of up to $50,000, or both. Alternatively, they might receive up to one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine, or face both penalties.
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Section § 10802
This law makes it illegal for anyone to tamper with or remove vehicle identification numbers (VINs) with the intent to hide or change the identity of vehicles or their parts for sale or trade. If caught and convicted, the person could face imprisonment for up to three years or a fine up to $25,000, or possibly both. Alternatively, they might face a year in county jail or a smaller fine up to $1,000, or both a fine and jail time.
Any person who knowingly alters, counterfeits, defaces, destroys, disguises, falsifies, forges, obliterates, or removes vehicle identification numbers, with the intent to misrepresent the identity or prevent the identification of motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts, for the purpose of sale, transfer, import, or export, is guilty of a public offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months, or two or three years, or by a fine of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or by up to one year in the county jail, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and
imprisonment.
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Section § 10803
This law makes it a crime to buy, sell, transfer, or possess multiple vehicles or vehicle parts knowing their vehicle identification numbers (VINs) have been tampered with to hide the vehicle's identity. If found guilty, a person can face a serious punishment, including imprisonment and hefty fines. Specifically, if you buy or sell such vehicles or parts, you could be imprisoned for up to six years and fined up to $60,000. If you possess them for sale or transfer, you could face up to three years in prison and a $30,000 fine. Minor offenses may lead to up to a year in county jail or a smaller fine.
(a)CA Vehicle Code § 10803(a) Any person who buys with the intent to resell, disposes of, sells, or transfers, more than one motor vehicle or parts from more than one motor vehicle, with the knowledge that the vehicle identification numbers of the motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts have been altered, counterfeited, defaced, destroyed, disguised, falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed for the purpose of misrepresenting the identity or preventing the identification of the motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts, is guilty of a public offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for two, four, or six years, or by a fine of not more than sixty thousand dollars ($60,000), or by both the fine
and imprisonment, or by up to one year in the county jail, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.
(b)CA Vehicle Code § 10803(b) Any person who possesses, for the purpose of sale, transfer, import, or export, more than one motor vehicle or parts from more than one motor vehicle, with the knowledge that the vehicle identification numbers of the motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts have been altered, counterfeited, defaced, destroyed, disguised, falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed for the purpose of misrepresenting the identity or preventing the identification of the motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts, is guilty of a public offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months, or two or three years, or by a fine of not more than thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or by
imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by both the fine and imprisonment.
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Section § 10804
This law states that certain rules do not apply to vehicle scrap processors or owners when handling vehicles or parts. Specifically, if a vehicle is processed by crushing or compacting, it's okay if the vehicle identification number (VIN) isn't removed, as long as it's done in a legal and honest manner. Additionally, if a vehicle or part is returned to its owner after being stolen and recovered by the police, the owner is not penalized for any VIN issues. The police are expected to be aware of any VIN changes or issues when they return the vehicle.
(a)CA Vehicle Code § 10804(a) Section 10803 does not apply to a motor vehicle scrap processor who, in the normal legal course of business and in good faith, processes a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part by crushing, compacting, or other similar methods, if any vehicle identification number is not removed from the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part prior to or during the processing.
(b)CA Vehicle Code § 10804(b) Section 10803 does not apply to any owner or authorized possessor of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part which has been recovered by law enforcement authorities after having been stolen or if the condition of the vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part is known to, or has been reported to, law enforcement authorities. Law enforcement authorities are presumed to have knowledge of all vehicle identification numbers on a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part which are altered, counterfeited, defaced, disguised, falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed, when law enforcement authorities deliver or return the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part to its owner or an authorized possessor after it has been recovered by law enforcement authorities after having been reported stolen.
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