CHAPTER 2. Form, Filing, and Certification of Petition [56700. - 56711.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 2.

in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56700. Section 56700.

(a) A proposal for a change of organization or a reorganization may be made by petition. The petition shall do all of the following: (1) State that the proposal is made pursuant to this part. (2) State the nature of the proposal and list all proposed changes of organization. (3) Set forth a description of the boundaries of affected territory accompanied by a map showing the boundaries. (4) Set forth any proposed terms and conditions. (5) State the reason or reasons for the proposal. (6) State whether the petition is signed by registered voters or owners of land. (7) Designate up to three persons as chief petitioners, setting forth their names and mailing addresses. (8) Request that proceedings be taken for the proposal pursuant to this part. (9) State whether the proposal is consistent with the sphere of influence of any affected city or affected district. (b) A petition for a proposal for a change of organization or a reorganization that includes the consolidation of two or more special districts not formed pursuant to the same principal act, in addition to the requirements set forth in subdivision (a), shall do either of the following: (1) Designate the district that shall be the successor and specify under which principal act the successor shall conduct itself. (2) State that the proposal requires the formation of a new district and includes a plan for services prepared pursuant to Section 56653.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56700.1. Section 56700.1.

Expenditures for political purposes related to a proposal for a change of organization or reorganization that will be submitted to a commission pursuant to this part, and contributions in support of or in opposition to those proposals, shall be disclosed and reported pursuant to Section 56100.1.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56700.4. Section 56700.4.

(a) Before circulating any petition for change of organization, the proponent shall file with the executive officer a notice of intention that shall include the name and mailing address of the proponent and a written statement, not to exceed 500 words in length, setting forth the reasons for the proposal. The notice shall be signed by a representative of the proponent, and shall be in substantially the following form: Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition Notice is hereby given of the intention to circulate a petition proposing to ____. The reasons for the proposal are: (b) After the filing required pursuant to subdivision (a), the petition may be circulated for signatures. (c) Upon receiving the notice, the executive officer shall notify affected local agencies. (d) The notice requirements of this section shall apply in addition to any other applicable notice requirements. (e) This section shall not apply to any petition signed by landowners if all parcels within the affected territory are vested under the same ownership.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56703. Section 56703.

A petition may consist of a single instrument or separate counterparts. All petitions shall be filed with the executive officer. All counterparts of a petition or of any supplemental petition, shall be filed at the same time.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56704. Section 56704.

(a) Each person signing a petition shall, at the time he or she signs the petition, affix after his or her signature the date upon which he or she signs the petition. (b) If a petition is signed by registered voters, each person signing the petition shall, in addition to his or her signature, affix the date upon which he or she signs the petition and indicate on the petition his or her place of residence, giving street and number or other designation sufficient to enable the place of residence to be readily ascertained. (c) If a petition is signed by owners of land, each person signing the petition shall, in addition to the signature and the date on which he or she signs the petition, include a written description sufficient to identify the location of the land owned by each person signing the petition.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56705. Section 56705.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), no petition shall be accepted for filing unless the signatures on the petition are secured within six months of the date on which the first signature on the petition was affixed and the petition is submitted to the executive officer for filing within 60 days after the last signature is affixed. If the elapsed time between the date on which the last signature is affixed and the date on which the petition is submitted for filing is more than 60 days, the executive officer shall file the petition in accordance with Section 56709. (b) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in cities with a population of more than 100,000 residents that are located in a county with a population of over 4,000,000, no petition shall be accepted for filing unless the signatures thereon have been secured within 90 days of the publication of the notice required pursuant to Section 56760 and the petition is submitted to the executive officer for filing within 60 days after the last signature is affixed. If the elapsed time between the date on which the last signature is affixed and the date on which the petition is submitted for filing is more than 60 days, the executive officer shall file the petition in accordance with Section 56709. (2) This subdivision shall not apply to a petition for a special reorganization, as defined in Section 56075.5. Subdivision (a) shall apply to a special reorganization, as defined in Section 56075.5, regardless of the number of residents in the city or county in which signatures have been secured on the petition. This paragraph is declaratory of existing law.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56706. Section 56706.

(a) Within 30 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, after the date of receiving a petition, the executive officer shall cause the petition to be examined by, in the case of a registered voter petition, the county elections official, in accordance with Sections 9113 to 9115, inclusive, of the Elections Code, or in the case of a landowner petition, the county assessor, and shall prepare a certificate of sufficiency indicating whether the petition is signed by the requisite number of signers. (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), if the certificate of the executive officer shows the petition to be insufficient, the executive officer shall immediately give notice by certified mail of the insufficiency to the proponents, if any. That mailed notice shall state in what amount the petition is insufficient. Within 15 days after the date of the notice of insufficiency, a supplemental petition bearing additional signatures may be filed with the executive officer. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the proponents of the petition may, at their option, collect signatures for an additional 15 days immediately following the statutory period allowed for collecting signatures without waiting for notice of insufficiency. Any proponent choosing to exercise this option may not file a supplemental petition as provided in paragraph (1). (c) Within 10 days after the date of filing a supplemental petition, the executive officer shall examine the supplemental petition and certify in writing the results of his or her examination. (d) A certificate of sufficiency shall be signed by the executive officer and dated. That certificate shall also state the minimum signature requirements for a sufficient petition and show the results of the executive officer’s examination. The executive officer shall mail a copy of the certificate of sufficiency to the proponents, if any.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56707. Section 56707.

If a petition is signed by registered voters, the executive officer shall cause the names of the signers on the petition to be compared with the voters’ register in the office of the county clerk or registrar of voters and ascertain both of the following: (a) The number of registered voters in the affected territory. (b) The number of qualified signers appearing upon the petition.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56708. Section 56708.

If a petition is signed by owners of land, the executive officer shall cause the names of the signers on the petition to be compared with the names of the persons shown as owners of land on the most recent assessment roll being prepared by the county at the time the proponent adopts a resolution of application pursuant to Section 56654 or files a notice of intention to circulate a petition with the executive officer pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 56700.4 and ascertain, to the extent possible, both of the following: (a) The total number of landowners within the territory and the total assessed valuation of all land within the affected territory. (b) The total number of landowners represented by qualified signers and the total assessed valuation of land owned by qualified signers.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56709. Section 56709.

If the petition, including any supplemental petition, is certified to be insufficient, it shall be filed with the executive officer as a public record, without prejudice to the filing of a new petition. The executive officer shall give mailed notice to the chief petitioners, if any, stating that the petition has been found to be insufficient.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56710. Section 56710.

For purposes of evaluating the sufficiency of any petition signed by owners of land: (a) The assessed value to be given land exempt from taxation or owned by a public agency shall be determined by the county assessor, at the request of the executive officer, in the same amount as the county assessor would assess that land, if the land were not exempt from taxation or owned by a public agency. (b) The value given land held in joint tenancy or tenancy in common shall be determined in proportion to the proportionate interest of the petitioner in that land. (c) The executive officer shall disregard the signature of any person not shown as owner on the most recent assessment roll being prepared by the county at the time the proponent adopts a resolution of application pursuant to Section 56654 or files a notice of intention to circulate a petition with the executive officer pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 56700.4, unless prior to certification the executive officer is furnished with written evidence, satisfactory to the executive officer, that the signer meets any of the following requirements: (1) Is a legal representative of the owner. (2) Is entitled to be shown as owner of land on the next assessment roll. (3) Is a purchaser of land under a recorded written agreement of sale. (4) Is authorized to sign for, and on behalf of, any public agency owning land.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 56711. Section 56711.

Any public or federal agency owning land within the territory which is the subject of the proposed change of organization or reorganization shall be deemed a landowner for the purpose of the signing and certification of a petition for the change of organization or reorganization. That agency may authorize the petition to be signed for the agency, and on behalf of the agency, by any duly authorized officer or employee.

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