Article 16. Fees of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 16.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article or in Section 56574, each applicant for a license shall pay to the department a fee in accordance with the schedule in subdivision (b), except that an agent shall pay fifty-five dollars ($55) for each license period of the principal.
  (b) The amount of the fee due each year from the applicant shall be determined by the annual dollar volume of business based on the value of the farm products that is returned to the grower, as follows:
  (1) For a dollar volume of less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), the fee shall be one hundred thirty-six dollars ($136).
  (2) For a dollar volume of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) and over, but less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), the fee shall be two hundred dollars ($200).
  (3) For a dollar volume of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and over, but less than two million dollars ($2,000,000), the fee shall be three hundred dollars ($300).
  (4) For a dollar volume of two million dollars ($2,000,000) and over, the fee shall be four hundred dollars ($400).
  (c) The department may reevaluate the fee structure based on operating costs. The fees shall adequately cover the costs to fully administer and operate the program in an effective and efficient manner.

The fees provided by Section 55861 are maximum fees. The secretary may fix those fees at a lesser amount, and may adjust those fees from time to time, whenever the secretary finds that the cost of administering this chapter can be defrayed with those below-maximum fees. The secretary may appoint an advisory committee of producers and licensees to provide guidance in establishing those fees or may rely on input from any similar advisory committee already assembled by the secretary.

(a) (1) If any processor does not apply for the renewal of a preexisting license on or before the date of expiration of the license, a penalty of twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be added to the fee provided for under Section 55861 or 55861.5. That penalty shall be paid within 30 days immediately following the license expiration date . Payment of the penalty shall entitle the applicant to 60 days from the date of the penalty payment to complete the application. If the application is not completed within that time, the application shall be denied and all fees retained by the department.
  (2) If the penalty described in paragraph (1) is not paid within the 30-day period, any application for renewal of a preexisting license shall be treated as a new application.
  (b) A new applicant shall have 60 days from the date of filing the application form and payment of the fee to complete the application. After the 60-day period has elapsed, if the application remains incomplete, the application may be denied and the application fee may be retained by the department.

(a) If any person is found to be operating a business without the license required by Section 55521, or failed to pay a fee in accordance with the schedule in subdivision (b) of Section 55861, that person shall pay to the secretary double the amount of the license fee due pursuant to this chapter.
  (b) In addition to subdivision (a), if any person is found to be operating a business within the past five years without a license required by Section 55521, or failed to pay the fees in accordance with the schedule in subdivision (b) of Section 55861, that person shall pay to the secretary an amount equal to three times that portion of the fees that were not paid for the last five years the business has operated.

Any person that has applied for and obtained a license pursuant to this chapter may apply for and secure a license under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 56101) by filing an application which is accompanied by a fee determined by the dollar volume of business based on the value of the farm products that is returned to the grower or licensee, as follows:
  (a) For a dollar volume of less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), the fee shall be fifty dollars ($50).
  (b) For a dollar volume of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and over, but less than two million dollars ($2,000,000), the fee shall be one hundred forty-five dollars ($145).
  (c) For a dollar volume of two million dollars ($2,000,000) and over, the fee shall be two hundred dollars ($200). This license shall be known as a "conjunctive license."

Any person who has applied for and obtained a license as agent, in the manner and upon the payment of the fee which is set forth in Section 55861, whose principal has applied for and obtained a conjunctive dealer's, commission merchant's, broker's, or cash buyer's license, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be licensed to represent his principal under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 56101) of this division, and no other fee shall be required of such agent.

All fees which are collected pursuant to this chapter shall be paid into the State Treasury monthly and shall be credited to the Department of Agriculture Fund and, except as otherwise provided in Section 55433, shall be expended in carrying out this chapter.