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California statute

Cal. Penal Code § 146a

Current through 2025–2026 Regular Session (leginfo weekly dump, 2026-07-12)

Part of Chapter 7: Other Offenses Against Public Justice, California Penal Code.

Full text of Cal. Penal Code § 146a

Statutory text current through the 2025–2026 Regular Session (leginfo weekly dump, 2026-07-12). This publication reproduces the official statutory text; it is not the official statutes of the State of California.

Cal. Penal Code § 146aPrimary source, current through the 2025–2026 Regular Session (leginfo weekly dump, 2026-07-12)
(a) Any person who falsely represents himself or herself to be a deputy or clerk in any state department and who, in that assumed character, does any of the following is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or both the fine and imprisonment: (1) Arrests, detains, or threatens to arrest or detain any person. (2) Otherwise intimidates any person. (3) Searches any person, building, or other property of any person. (4) Obtains money, property, or other thing of value. (b) Any person who falsely represents himself or herself to be a public officer, investigator, or inspector in any state department and who, in that assumed character, does any of the following shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or by both that fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170: (1) Arrests, detains, or threatens to arrest or detain any person. (2) Otherwise intimidates any person. (3) Searches any person, building, or other property of any person. (4) Obtains money, property, or other thing of value.

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