California Laws
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Are Autopsy Reports Public in California? (2026 Guide)
Yes. California autopsy and coroner reports are public records under the CPRA once the case closes. See who can request one, fees, and the pending-case hold.
Are Brass Knuckles Legal in California? (2026 Penal Code 21810)
California bans metal knuckles: making, selling, giving or possessing them is a crime under Penal Code 21810. See penalties, exemptions and plastic knuckles.
Are Magic Mushrooms Legal in California? Psilocybin Laws (2026)
Psilocybin is Schedule I in California: possession carries up to a year in county jail, sale two to four years. Spore rules, failed bills and federal status.
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Bankruptcy in California (2026): Exemptions & Means Test
California opted out of federal exemptions but offers two state systems, one with a large inflation-indexed homestead and one with a bigger wildcard, plus the means test.
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California Adoption Records: The Court-Petition Path to an Original Birth Certificate
California adult adoptees need a court order for their original birth certificate. Here is the petition process, the sealed file, and the consent registry.
California Age of Consent Laws: Statutes, Penalties and Reporting
How California criminal law protects minors by age, with Penal Code 261.5 and 288 tiers, age-difference grading, penalties, registration and where to report.
California AI Laws and Regulation (2026)
Guide to California AI laws including SB 53, SB 942, AB 2013, FEHA AI employment rules, deepfake laws, and healthcare AI regulation.
California AI Meeting Recording Laws (2026)
California requires all-party consent for AI meeting recorders under Cal. Penal Code 632. Civil damages are the greater of $5,000 per violation or triple damages.
California Annulment Laws: Grounds, Deadlines and How to File (2026)
California annulment (nullity of marriage) explained: void and voidable grounds, filing deadlines under Family Code 2211, putative spouse rights and the 2027 change.
California Assault and Battery Laws: Charges and Penalties (2026)
California treats assault (Penal Code 240) and battery (242) as separate crimes. See the penalties, when assault is a felony, domestic battery and protected victims.
California At-Will Employment Laws: Exceptions and Your Rights
Is California an at-will state? Yes, under Lab. Code 2922 — but Tameny tort and implied-contract exceptions give employees strong protections. Learn your rights.
California Audio Recording Laws: Two-Party Consent Rules and Penalties (2026)
California audio recording laws require all-party consent under Penal Code 632. Learn the rules, penalties, exceptions, and how they apply to phone calls and in-person conversations.
California Background Check Laws (2026 Guide)
California background check laws explained: Ban the Box, Fair Chance Act, 7-year lookback rule, Clean Slate relief, Prop 47, and employer limits. Updated for 2026.
California Biometric Privacy Laws: Collection, Consent & Penalties (2026)
California protects biometric data as sensitive personal information under the CCPA/CPRA. Learn about consumer rights, breach rules, employer duties, and CPPA enforcement.
California Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees and Who Can Get One
CDPH Vital Records charges $31 for a certified California birth certificate, mail only; counties issue in person and are often faster. Who can order and how.
California Car Accident Laws: Fault, Insurance, and Your Claim
California is an at-fault state with pure comparative negligence, 30/60/15 minimum insurance (2025), a 2-year PI lawsuit deadline, and no PIP requirement.
California Car Seat Laws (2026): Ages, Airbags & Fines
California requires rear-facing under age 2 (or 40 lb/in), a restraint until 8, under Veh. Code 27360/27363. See the airbag rule, penalties, and 2027 change.
California Child Custody Laws (2026): Types, Best Interests, and Your Rights
California decides custody by the child's best interests under Family Code 3011. No 50/50 presumption. SB 599 (2023) bars courts from considering a parent's gender identity or sexual orientation.
California Child Support Laws (2026): Guidelines & Calculator
California child support uses the Fam. Code 4055 algebraic formula. SB 343 (Sept. 2024) updated K-factors and tied the low-income threshold to minimum wage ($2,929/mo in 2026).
California Court Records: Why There's No Statewide Portal, and How Each County Search Works
California has no statewide court records portal under Rule 2.503. Learn LA, San Diego, and Santa Clara's real fees, and California's three sealing tracks.
California Dashcam Laws: Mounting Rules, Audio Recording, and Evidence (2026)
California dashcam laws explained: CVC 26708 windshield mounting rules, Penal Code 632 audio consent requirements, Uber/Lyft rules, fleet dashcams, and using footage as evidence.
California Data Breach Notification Laws: Reporting Rules & Timelines (2026)
California requires breach notification within 30 days under SB 446. Learn who must comply, what triggers notice, CCPA damages, and AG reporting rules.
California Data Privacy Laws: CCPA, CPRA & Consumer Rights (2026)
Learn about California data privacy laws including CCPA, CPRA, consumer rights, business obligations, penalties up to $7,988 per violation, and the new 2026 DELETE Act rules.
California Death Records: Are They Public + How to Get Them
California is a closed-record state for certified death certificates. Learn who can get an authorized copy, the $26 fee, processing time, and how to order.
California Debt Collection Laws: Wage Garnishment, Statute of Limitations, and Repossession
California debt collection laws: the 20% wage garnishment cap, $2,325 bank exemption, 4-year debt statute of limitations, and Rees-Levering repo rights.
California Deepfake Laws: AI Images, Voice Cloning & Penalties (2026)
California has some of the most comprehensive deepfake laws in the US: Civ. Code § 1708.86 creates a civil action for intimate deepfakes; Penal Code § 647(j)(4) makes distribution a misdemeanor; and Civ. Code § 3344 covers AI voice cloning.
California Defamation Laws: Libel & Slander (2026)
California defamation laws: a 1-year deadline under CCP 340(c), libel vs slander, defamation per se, and a strong anti-SLAPP statute (CCP 425.16).
California Delete Act and DROP: How to Delete Your Data From Data Brokers (2026)
California residents can make every registered data broker delete their data with one free DROP request. How to sign up, what brokers must do, what DROP misses.
California Disorderly Conduct, Disturbing the Peace and Trespass Laws
California splits disorderly conduct between Penal Code 415 (disturbing the peace, up to 90 days and $400) and 647. Most trespass acts under 602 are misdemeanors.
California Divorce Laws (2026): Grounds, Residency, and Process
California divorce requires irreconcilable differences, 6-month state residency, 3-month county residency, and a 6-month waiting period. No separation required.
California Dog Bite Laws: Liability and Victim Rights
Learn California dog bite laws under Civil Code 3342, including strict liability rules, statute of limitations, dangerous dog laws, and victim rights.
California Drone Laws (2026): Privacy, Fires & Shoot-Down Rules
California's anti-paparazzi law, Civil Code Section 1708.8, lets you sue over a drone flown into your airspace to record a private moment.
California DUI Laws: Penalties, BAC Limit & License (2026)
California DUI laws: the 0.08% BAC limit, first-offense penalties under Vehicle Code 23152, license suspension, interlock, and the 10-year look-back.
California E-Scooter Laws: Sidewalk, Helmet & Age Rules (2026)
California e-scooter law explained: the real 15 mph speed cap behind the 25/35 mph figures, the under-18 helmet rule, sidewalk ban, and LA's stricter age rules.
California Easement and Eminent Domain Laws (2026)
California prescriptive easements generally take five years of adverse use. See landlocked-land rules, Prop 99 limits and how eminent domain compensation works.
California Emancipation Laws: How to Get Emancipated in California (2026)
California allows minors as young as 14 to petition for emancipation under Cal. Fam. Code 7120. Learn the three routes, eligibility requirements, rights granted under 7050, and how to file.
California Embezzlement and Forgery Laws: Penalties (2026)
California punishes embezzlement as theft by value, makes public-funds embezzlement a felony, and treats forgery as a misdemeanor or felony, with a $950 check rule.
California Employee Monitoring Laws: Employer Rules (2026)
California employee monitoring laws explained: the social media password law, Labor Code 435 restroom camera ban, CPRA employee rights, and Hernandez v.
California Expungement Laws: Dismissal and Record Relief
California does not have true expungement. Learn how PC 1203.4 dismissal and automatic Clean Slate relief work, who qualifies, and how to file.
California Felony vs Misdemeanor: Sentences, Fines and Wobblers (2026)
California has no felony classes. See how Penal Code 17 defines felonies, misdemeanors and infractions, the default sentences and fines, wobblers and probation.
California Final Paycheck Laws: Labor Code 201, 202, 203 Explained
California final paycheck law: fired employees are owed wages immediately, quitting within 72 hours. How the waiting-time penalty works, with an example.
California Fireworks Laws: Sale Dates, Ages & Penalties (2026)
California sets a statewide nine-day fireworks sale window, age minimums, and steep penalties by law, and cities or counties can ban them entirely on top of that.
California GPS Tracking Laws: Is It Legal to Put a Tracker on a Car? (2026)
Is it legal to put a GPS tracker on a car in California? Penal Code 637.7 explained: who can track, AirTag rules, penalties, and the $5,000 civil lawsuit.
California Grandparents' Rights: Visitation Law Under Family Code 3104
California grandparent visitation law: the filing bar while parents are married, the presumptions against visitation, and how to petition.
California Guardianship and Conservatorship Laws (2026 Guide)
How California guardianship and conservatorship work: guardians for minors, conservators for adults, clear and convincing proof, appointed counsel and SDM.
California Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do
Understand California's hit and run laws: legal obligations after an accident, penalties for leaving the scene, and steps to protect your rights.
California Homestead Exemption: $7,000 Amount, Deadline, How to Apply
California's homeowners' exemption cuts $7,000 from a home's taxable value. File BOE-266 with your county assessor by February 15. Prop 13 and 19 explained.
California Identity Theft Laws: Penal Code 530.5 and Your Rights
California identity theft is charged under Penal Code 530.5. See penalties, the factual-innocence process, free minor freezes, and civil remedies.
California Jury Duty Laws: Pay, Excuses and Employer Rules (2026)
California jury duty rules: who must serve, the $15-a-day pay from day two, undue hardship excuses, employer protections and what happens if you miss a summons.
California Knife Laws (2026): Four Blade-Length Rules
California sets four different blade-length thresholds for four contexts, from 2 inches for switchblades to no number at all for dirk or dagger carry.
California Landlord-Tenant Laws (2026): Deposits, Notice, and Tenant Rights
California security deposit cap is 1 month's rent (AB 12, July 2024). Landlords must return deposits within 21 days and give 24-hour written notice to enter.
California Landlord-Tenant Recording and Surveillance Laws (2026)
California landlord-tenant recording and surveillance laws explained. Learn rules for cameras in apartments, audio recording under PC 632, tenant rights, and penalties.
California Laws on Recording Doctors and Medical Appointments (2026)
Learn California laws on recording doctor visits, medical appointments, and telehealth sessions. Covers PC 632, HIPAA, CMIA, consent rules, and penalties.
California Laws on Recording in Public: What Is Legal (2026)
Learn California public recording laws, including your First Amendment right to film, what counts as public vs. private, anti-SLAPP protections, and drone rules.
California Laws on Recording Police: Your Rights and Limits (2026)
Learn your right to record police in California under the First Amendment and PC 148(g). Covers interference rules, phone seizure protections, body camera laws, and what to do during traffic stops.
California Lemon Law (2026): How to Qualify & Get a Refund
California's Song-Beverly Act presumes a lemon after 4 repair attempts, 2 for safety defects, or more than 30 days out of service within 18 months/18,000 miles.
California License Plate Reader (ALPR) Laws (2026)
California ALPR law explained: operator privacy policies, public-agency limits, CHP 60-day cap, court rulings, and how to check local systems.
California Manslaughter Laws: Voluntary, Involuntary and Vehicular
California manslaughter under Penal Code 192: voluntary (3, 6 or 11 years), involuntary, vehicular and DUI manslaughter under 191.5, with sentences.
California Marriage & Divorce Records: Mail-Only Since July 2026
CDPH takes mail applications only since July 2026. Marriage copies cover 1905-1999, 2001 and 2008-2025; divorce records only 1962 to June 1984.
California Marriage License Requirements 2026: Fees and Types
How to get a California marriage license in 2026: county fees, public vs confidential licenses, ID, the 90-day limit, officiants and the 10-day return.