California Code, Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 60503.2

(a) Any person, including any officer or employee of a corporation, who gives a Section 60503 exemption certificate for diesel fuel that he or she knows at the time of purchase is not to be used by him or her or the corporation on a farm for farming purposes or in an exempt bus operation, for the purpose of evading payment to the ultimate vendor of the amount of the tax applicable to the transaction, is guilty of either a misdemeanor punishable as provided in Section 60706 or a felony punishable as provided in Section 60707.

(b) Any person, including any officer or employee of a corporation, who gives an exemption certificate for diesel fuel pursuant to Section 60503 that he or she knows at the time of purchase is not to be used by him or her or the corporation on a farm for farming purposes or in an exempt bus operation, is liable to the state for the amount of tax that would be due if he or she had not given that certificate. In addition to the tax, the person shall be liable to the state for a penalty of 25 percent of the tax or one thousand dollars ($1,000), whichever is greater, for each certificate issued for personal gain or to evade the payment of taxes.