21609.1. (a) No junk dealer or recycler shall possess any reasonably recognizable, disassembled, or inoperative fire hydrant or fire department connection, including, but not limited to, reasonably recognizable brass fittings and parts, or any manhole cover or lid or reasonably recognizable part of a manhole cover or lid, or any backflow device or connection to that device or reasonably recognizable part of that device, that was owned or previously owned by an agency, in the absence of a written certification on the letterhead of the agency owning or previously owning the material described in the certification that the agency has either sold the material described or is offering the material for sale, salvage, or recycling, and that the person possessing the certification and identified in the certification is authorized to negotiate the sale of that material.
(b) A junk dealer or recycler who unknowingly takes possession of one or more of the items listed in subdivision (a) as part of a load of otherwise nonprohibited materials without a written certification has a duty to notify the appropriate law enforcement agency by the end of the next business day upon discovery of the prohibited material. Written certification shall relieve the junk dealer or recycler from any civil or criminal penalty for possession of the prohibited material. The prohibited material shall be set aside and not sold pending a determination made by a law enforcement agency pursuant to Section 21609.
(c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Agency” means a public agency, city, county, city and county, special district, or private utility regulated by the Public Utilities Commission.
(2) “Appropriate law enforcement agency” means either of the following:
(A) The police chief of the city, or his or her designee, if the item or items listed in subdivision (a) are located within the territorial limits of an incorporated city.
(B) The sheriff of the county or his or her designee if the item or items listed are located within the county but outside the territorial limits of an incorporated city.
(3) “Written certification” means a certification in written form by the junk dealer or recycler to a law enforcement agency, including electronic mail, facsimile, or a letter delivered in person or by certified mail.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 76, Sec. 5. (AB 383) Effective January 1, 2014.)