California Charge Code Lookup

Type a California charge code from a booking sheet, jail roster or ticket and see which law book and section it points to, with a link to the official text. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.

Enter a code to see which law book it comes from and open the official text.

California criminal code books and abbreviations

California defines offenses in more than one law book, so the abbreviation on the record tells you which one:

  • Penal Code (PC). Sections are written as section with optional decimal and letter (245, 273.5, 1203.4a), for example 245, 273.5, 459. See section 245
  • Health and Safety Code (HS). Sections are written as section (11377, 11350), for example 11377, 11350. See section 11377
  • Vehicle Code (VC). Sections are written as section (23152, 12500), for example 23152, 12500. See section 23152
  • Welfare and Institutions Code (WI). Sections are written as section (602, 5150), for example 602. See section 602
  • Business and Professions Code (BP, B&P). Sections are written as section (25662, 4060), for example 25662. See section 25662

California charge codes explained

After an arrest in California: the first court appearance

The defendant must be taken before a magistrate without unnecessary delay and within 48 hours after arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays. (Pen. Code § 825(a)(1))

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the defendant shall in all cases be taken before the magistrate without unnecessary delay, and, in any event, within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays.

California courts call this hearing the arraignment.

What this page does not do

  • It does not look up a person, a booking or a case.
  • It does not say what a charge will lead to; the prosecutor decides what is filed.
  • It collects nothing; what you type stays in your browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a California charge code?

Find the number and the abbreviation. PC is the Penal Code; HS is the Health and Safety Code; VC is the Vehicle Code; WI is the Welfare and Institutions Code; BP is the Business and Professions Code. A section is written as section with optional decimal and letter (245, 273.5, 1203.4a). The lookup above links the official text.

How long can you be held in California before seeing a judge?

The defendant must be taken before a magistrate without unnecessary delay and within 48 hours after arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays. (Pen. Code § 825(a)(1)).

Sources

Checked against the sources above on October 20, 2026.

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