TITLE 12. OF CRIMES AGAINST THE REVENUE AND PROPERTY OF THIS STATE [424. - 440.]

Cal. Penal Code - PEN 1.

in effect

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 424. Section 424.

(a) Each officer of this state, or of any county, city, town, or district of this state, and every other person charged with the receipt, safekeeping, transfer, or disbursement of public moneys, who either: 1. Without authority of law, appropriates the same, or any portion thereof, to his or her own use, or to the use of another; or, 2. Loans the same or any portion thereof; makes any profit out of, or uses the same for any purpose not authorized by law; or, 3. Knowingly keeps any false account, or makes any false entry or erasure in any account of or relating to the same; or, 4. Fraudulently alters, falsifies, conceals, destroys, or obliterates any account; or, 5. Willfully refuses or omits to pay over, on demand, any public moneys in his or her hands, upon the presentation of a draft, order, or warrant drawn upon these moneys by competent authority; or, 6. Willfully omits to transfer the same, when transfer is required by law; or, 7. Willfully omits or refuses to pay over to any officer or person authorized by law to receive the same, any money received by him or her under any duty imposed by law so to pay over the same;— Is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, and is disqualified from holding any office in this state. (b) As used in this section, “public moneys” includes the proceeds derived from the sale of bonds or other evidence or indebtedness authorized by the legislative body of any city, county, district, or public agency. (c) This section does not apply to the incidental and minimal use of public resources authorized by Section 8314 of the Government Code.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 425. Section 425.

Every officer charged with the receipt, safe keeping, or disbursement of public moneys, who neglects or fails to keep and pay over the same in the manner prescribed by law, is guilty of felony.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 426. Section 426.

The phrase “public moneys,” as used in Sections 424 and 425, includes all bonds and evidence of indebtedness, and all moneys belonging to the state, or any city, county, town, district, or public agency therein, and all moneys, bonds, and evidences of indebtedness received or held by state, county, district, city, town, or public agency officers in their official capacity.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 428. Section 428.

Every person who willfully obstructs or hinders any public officer from collecting any revenue, taxes, or other sums of money in which the people of this State are interested, and which such officer is by law empowered to collect, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 429. Section 429.

Any provider of telecommunications services in this state that intentionally fails to collect or remit, as may be required, the annual fee imposed pursuant to Section 431 of the Public Utilities Code, the universal telephone service surcharge imposed pursuant to Section 879 or 879.5 of the Public Utilities Code, the fee for filing an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity as provided in Section 1904 of the Public Utilities Code, or the surcharge imposed pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 2881 of the Public Utilities Code, whether imposed on the provider or measured by the provider’s service charges, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 431. Section 431.

Every person who uses or gives any receipt, except that prescribed by law, as evidence of the payment of any poll tax, road tax, or license of any kind, or who receives payment of such tax or license without delivering the receipt prescribed by law, or who inserts the name of more than one person therein, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 432. Section 432.

Every person who has in his possession, with intent to circulate or sell, any blank licenses or poll tax receipts other than those furnished by the Controller of State or County Auditor, is guilty of felony.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 436. Section 436.

Every person who acts as an auctioneer in violation of the laws of this State relating to auctions and auctioneers, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 439. Section 439.

Every person who in this State procures, or agrees to procure, any insurance for a resident of this State, from any insurance company not incorporated under the laws of this State, unless such company or its agent has filed the bond required by the laws of this State relating to insurance, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 440. Section 440.

Every officer charged with the collection, receipt, or disbursement of any portion of the revenue of this State, who, upon demand, fails or refuses to permit the Controller or Attorney General to inspect his books, papers, receipts, and records pertaining to his office, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026