Section 6401.
Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6401.
in effect(a)
All oil, gas, oil shale, coal, phosphate, sodium, gold, silver, and all other mineral deposits in public lands belonging to the state, or which may become the property of the state, are reserved to the state. Such deposits are reserved from sale except upon a rental and royalty basis and except as otherwise provided by law. A purchaser of any public lands belonging to the state, or which may become property of the state, shall acquire no right, title, or interest in or to such deposits. The right of such purchaser shall be subject to the reservation of all oil, gas, oil shale, coal, phosphate, sodium, gold, silver, and all other mineral deposits, and to the conditions and limitations prescribed by law providing for the state and persons authorized by it to prospect for, mine, and remove such deposits, and to occupy and use so much of the surface of the land as may be required for all purposes reasonably extending to the mining and removal of such deposits therefrom; provided, that when any person, authorized by the state to prospect for said reserved deposits to the extent provided for in this division, enters upon such land, such person so entering shall be liable to and shall compensate such purchaser of land for all damage and injury to the permanent improvements and the crops on such lands by reason of such prospecting; provided, further, that persons who have acquired the right to mine and remove such deposits may reenter, occupy and use so much of the surface of the land as may be required for all purposes reasonably extending to the mining and removal of such deposits therefrom; first, upon securing the written consent or waiver of the purchaser of such public land; second, upon payment of the damages to crops or other tangible improvements to the owner thereof, where agreement may be had as to the amount thereof; or third, in lieu of either of the foregoing provisions, upon the execution of a good and sufficient bond or undertaking to the State of California for the use and benefit of the purchaser of such land, to secure the payment of such damages to the crops or tangible improvements of the purchaser of said land as may be determined and fixed in an action brought upon the bond or undertaking in a court of competent jurisdiction against the principal and sureties thereon, such bond or undertaking to be in the form and in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the commission; and provided, further, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any compromise agreement entered into under this division, nor to any exchange of real property where the state receives the mineral rights in the parcel or parcels being acquired by the state.
(b)
Notwithstanding subdivision (a), upon a finding by the commission that there are no known deposits of commercially valuable minerals in and above a plane located 500 feet below the surface of any lands sold or exchanged or to be sold or exchanged by the state to another, including land sold pursuant to Section 6404, and wherein any or all of the mineral deposits have been or are required by law to be reserved to the state, the commission may by quitclaim, patent, agreement, or other appropriate instrument, modify the accompanying rights of the state to the use of the surface of such lands, including any right to enter such lands to a depth of 500 feet below the surface of such lands, as will permit the orderly use and developmenmt of all such sold or exchanged lands. Any such finding by the commission and any such modification of accompanying rights of the state as provided in this subdivision shall be conclusive in favor of any purchaser or encumbrancer of such sold or exchanged lands acting in good faith and for value. Any modification authorized by this subdivision which affects school land Sections 16 and 36 granted to the state by and upon the terms and conditions set forth in Section 870 of Title 43 of the United States Code, shall not be made in a manner inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth in such federal law so long as such terms and conditions are effective. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to authorize the relinquishment of any mineral rights in such lands owned or reserved to the state.
References
referencesCal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6404.
referencesCal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 16.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026