(a) This article does not preempt the authority of any city, city and county, or county to regulate, pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 21100, any of the matters covered by this article.

(b) (1) For the purposes of verifying the criminal history of individuals involved in the operation of tow truck services, law enforcement agencies of any city, city and county, or county may conduct criminal history checks for all of the following:

(A) Applicants for employment to drive tow trucks.

(B) Those who drive tow trucks.

(C) Tow truck owners-operators.

(2) The law enforcement agency may obtain the fingerprints of the individuals on a form approved by the Department of Justice and provided by the agency. The fingerprint samples shall be submitted to the Department of Justice for the purpose of determining whether the individual has been convicted of any violation, including, but not limited to, Section 220, subdivision (1), (2), (3), or (4) of Section 261, or Section 264.1, 267, 288, or 289 of the Penal Code, or any felony or three misdemeanors as set forth in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 5164 of the Public Resources Code.

(3) For purposes of conducting criminal history screening of tow truck driver applicants, employees, and employers who have not resided continuously in the state for the previous seven years, the law enforcement agency of any city, city and county, or county, may obtain a second set of fingerprints, when necessary, and may submit that card to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for out-of-state criminal history checks.

(c) The law enforcement agency of any city, city and county, or county may charge a fee sufficient to cover the cost of obtaining and processing the fingerprint cards through the Department of Justice.

(d) For the purposes of conducting driver history screening of applicants to drive tow trucks, employees, and owners-operators, the law enforcement agency of any city, city and county, or county may verify that the applicant or owner-operator, as the case may be, has a valid California driver’s license of the proper class, through the use of the automated records system.

(e) The Department of Justice shall develop a procedure whereby it will notify the requesting law enforcement agency if the person fingerprinted has been convicted of any of the specified crimes or is convicted of a specified crime subsequent to employment or beginning operation of a tow service. The Department of Justice shall release the requested information to the requesting agency.

(f) Information released to the requesting agency may be utilized for licensing and regulating procedures established pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 21100.

(g) Information released to the requesting agency shall be related to its inquiry, shall remain confidential, and shall not be made public.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 184, Sec. 5. Effective July 23, 2004.)