Door-to-Door Sales by Minors

(California Labor Code Sections 1308.1 - 1308.4)

 

 

§ 1308.1.         Door-to-door selling by minors

 

(a)        No minor under the age of 6 years shall be permitted to engage in the door-to-door sales or street sales of candy, cookies, flowers, or any other merchandise or commodities.

 

(b)        No minor under 16 years of age, permitted by law to engage in door-to-door sales of newspaper or magazine subscriptions, or of candy, cookies, flowers, or other merchandise or commodities, shall be employed in those activities more than 50 miles from his or her place of residence.

 

§ 1308.2.         Registration of person transporting or supervising minor for door-to-door sales

 

(a)        Except as provided in subdivision (f), any person 18 years of age or older who transports, or provides direction or supervision during transportation of, a minor under 16 years of age to any location more than 10 miles from the minor's residence, or directs or supervises a minor, for the purpose of facilitating the minor's participation in door-to-door sales of any merchandise or commodity, shall register with the Labor Commissioner pursuant to this section.  Registration may be renewed on an annual basis.

 

(b)        The Labor Commissioner shall not register or renew registration of any person pursuant to this section unless all of the following conditions are satisfied:

 

(1)        The person has executed a written application on a form prescribed by the Labor Commissioner, including all of the following:

 

(A)       The name, address, social security number, and California driver's license number of the applicant and the name, address, and employer identification number of the organization from which the merchandise to be sold is purchased.  The information provided pursuant to this subparagraph shall be set forth in a declaration of the individual applicant under penalty of perjury.

 

(B)       A statement by the applicant containing all facts required by the Labor Commissioner concerning the applicant's character, competency, responsibility, and the manner and method by which the applicant proposes to transport the minor or minors, the number of minors to be transported, methods and levels of adult supervision to be provided, the nature of the merchandise to be sold, the content of any promotional statement to be delivered by any minor, and a description of how the merchandise or commodity to be sold would be represented to the public.

 

(2)        The Labor Commissioner, following an investigation thereof, is satisfied as to the character, competency, and responsibility of the applicant.

 

(3)        Each application for initial registration shall be accompanied by a fee determined by the Labor Commissioner in an amount sufficient in the aggregate to defray the division's costs of administering the registration program, but which shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100) for initial registration or fifty dollars ($50) for registration renewal.

 

(c)        Any registrant under this section shall have proof of registration with the Labor Commissioner in his or her immediate possession at all times when engaged in any activity described in subdivision (a).

 

(d)        Whenever an application for a registration or renewal is made, and application processing pursuant to this section has not been completed, the Labor Commissioner may, at his or her discretion, issue a temporary or provisional registration valid for a period not exceeding 90 days, and subject, where appropriate, to summary revocation by the Labor Commissioner.  Otherwise, the conditions for issuance or renewal of registration shall meet the requirements of subdivision (b).

 

(e)        Any person who violates subdivision (a) or (c) is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per affected minor upon the first conviction for a violation, two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per affected minor for the second conviction for a violation, and ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per affected minor for a third or subsequent conviction for a violation.

 

(f)                 The following persons are not required to register under this section:

 

(1)        A parent or the guardian of the minor.

 

(2)        A person solely providing transportation for hire, who is not otherwise subject to the registration requirements of subdivision (a).

 

(3)        A person acting on behalf of a trustee or charitable corporation, as defined in Sections 12582 and 12582.1, respectively, of the Government Code, or of any entity described in Section 12583 of the Government Code.

 

§ 1308.3.         Registration of person or entity that employs or uses minors for door-to-door sales

 

(a)        Except as provided in subdivision (g), any individual, association, corporation, or other entity that employs or uses, either directly or indirectly through third persons, minors under 16 years of age in door-to-door sales at any location more than 10 miles from the minor's residence shall register with the Labor Commissioner pursuant to this section.  Registration may be renewed on an annual basis.

 

(b)        The Labor Commissioner shall not register or renew registration of any applicant pursuant to this section unless all of the following conditions are satisfied:

 

(1)        The organization has executed a written application therefore on a form prescribed by the Labor Commissioner, including all of the following:

 

(A)       The company's name, address, and employer identification number, and the names, addresses, and social security numbers of all adults employed to supervise, accompany, or transport minors who would be engaged in door-to-door sales.  The information provided pursuant to this subparagraph shall be set forth in a declaration under penalty of perjury by the applicant if an individual, or an officer of an applicant that is an association, corporation, or other entity.

 

(B)       A statement of all the facts required by the Labor Commissioner concerning the nature of the merchandise to be sold and a plan detailing the level and nature of adult supervision to be provided minors engaged in door-to-door sales.  The information provided pursuant to this subparagraph shall be by declaration under penalty of perjury by the individual, or an officer of the association, corporation, or other entity.

 

(C)              A copy of any written contract or other written agreement to be offered by the applicant to minors employed or used by the applicant in door-to-door sales.

 

(2)        The Labor Commissioner, following an investigation thereof, is satisfied that the employer has not previously violated this article and does not propose to expose minors in its employ to hazardous or unsafe working conditions.

 

(3)        Each application for initial registration shall be accompanied by a fee determined by the Labor Commissioner in an amount sufficient in the aggregate to defray the division's costs of administering the registration program, but which shall not exceed three hundred fifty dollars ($350) for initial registration or two hundred dollars ($200) for registration renewal.

 

(c)        Any registrant under this section shall, upon request, make available for inspection by the Labor Commissioner all of its payroll records for any period.

 

(d)        Any registrant under this section, or person acting on behalf of a registrant, shall have proof of registration with the Labor Commissioner in his or her immediate possession at all times when engaged in any activity described in subdivision (a).

 

(e)        Whenever an application for a registration or renewal is made, and application processing pursuant to this section has not been completed, the Labor Commissioner may, at his or her discretion, issue a temporary or provisional registration valid for a period not exceeding 90 days, and subject, where appropriate, to summary revocation by the Labor Commissioner.  Otherwise, the conditions for issuance or renewal of registration shall meet the requirements of subdivision (a).

 

(f)         Any person or entity, or any agent or officer thereof, who violates subdivision (a) or (d), and any parent or guardian who knowingly permits a minor in his or her custody to be employed in door-to-door sales specified in subdivision (a) by an unregistered person or entity, or permits any minor to be employed in violation hereof, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per affected minor for the first conviction for a violation, two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per affected minor for the second conviction for a violation, and ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per affected minor for a third or subsequent conviction for a violation.

 

(g)        This section does not apply to any trustee or charitable corporation, as defined in Sections 12582 and 12582.1, respectively, of the Government Code, or to any entity described in Section 12583 of the Government Code.

 

§ 1308.4.         Revocation, suspension or denial of renewal of registration

 

The Labor Commissioner may revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew any registration under Section 1308.2 or 1308.3 when any of the following have occurred:

 

(a)        The registrant or any agent of the registrant has violated or failed to comply with Section 1308.2 or 1308.3.

 

(b)        The registrant has made any misrepresentation or false statement in his or her application for registration under Section 1308.2 or 1308.3.

 

(c)        The registrant has operated in a manner substantially different from the conditions of operation stated in the application for registration.

 

(d)        The registrant, or any agent of the registrant, has been found by a court of law or the Labor Commissioner to have violated, or willfully aided or abetted any person in the violation of, any law of this state regulating the employment of minors, the payment of wages to minors, or the conditions, terms, or places of employment affecting the health and safety of minors.

 

(e)        The registrant has been found, by a court of law or the Secretary of Labor, to have violated any provision of the child labor provisions set forth in Section 12 of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended (29 U.S.C. Sec. 212).