FRESNO - Spiking Prices During a State of an Emergency is a Crime As the State of California and Fresno County continue to respond to the ongoing threat posed by COVID-19, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office is cautioning businesses and scammers not to take advantage of consumers by price gouging.
During a declared state of emergency, it is illegal for a business to increase its prices for essential goods or services by more than 10 percent, unless they can show their own costs have been increased. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California on March 4.