California legal term
deceptive identification document in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “deceptive identification document” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the California criminal code.
What does “deceptive identification document” mean in California criminal law?
“deceptive identification document” means any document not issued by a governmental agency of this state, another state, the federal government, a foreign government, a political subdivision of a foreign government, an international government, or an international quasi-governmental organization, which purports to be, or which might deceive an ordinary reasonable person into believing that it is, a document issued by such an agency, including, but not limited to, a driver’s license, identification card, birth certificate, passport, or social security card. (Cal. Penal Code § 483.5)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.