Section 290.01.
Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 290.01.
in effect(a)
(1)
Commencing October 28, 2002, every person required to register pursuant to Sections 290 to 290.009, inclusive, of the Sex Offender Registration Act who is enrolled as a student of any university, college, community college, or other institution of higher learning, or is, with or without compensation, a full-time or part-time employee of that university, college, community college, or other institution of higher learning, or is carrying on a vocation at the university, college, community college, or other institution of higher learning, for more than 14 days, or for an aggregate period exceeding 30 days in a calendar year, shall, in addition to the registration required by the Sex Offender Registration Act, register with the campus police department within five working days of commencing enrollment or employment at that university, college, community college, or other institution of higher learning, on a form as may be required by the Department of Justice. The terms “employed or carries on a vocation” include employment whether or not financially compensated, volunteered, or performed for government or educational benefit. The registrant shall also notify the campus police department within five working days of ceasing to be enrolled or employed, or ceasing to carry on a vocation, at the university, college, community college, or other institution of higher learning.
(2)
For purposes of this section, a campus police department is a police department of the University of California, California State University, or California Community College, established pursuant to Section 72330, 89560, or 92600 of the Education Code, or is a police department staffed with deputized or appointed personnel with peace officer status as provided in Section 830.6 of the Penal Code and is the law enforcement agency with the primary responsibility for investigating crimes occurring on the college or university campus on which it is located.
(b)
If the university, college, community college, or other institution of higher learning has no campus police department, the registrant shall instead register pursuant to subdivision (a) with the police of the city in which the campus is located or the sheriff of the county in which the campus is located if the campus is located in an unincorporated area or in a city that has no police department, on a form as may be required by the Department of Justice. The requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b) are in addition to the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration Act.
(c)
A first violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). A second violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than six months, by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine. A third or subsequent violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(d)
(1)
(A)
The following information regarding a registered sex offender on campus as to whom information shall not be made available to the public via the Internet Web site as provided in Section 290.46 may be released to members of the campus community by any campus police department or, if the university, college, community college, or other institution of higher learning has no police department, the police department or sheriff’s department with jurisdiction over the campus, and any employees of those agencies, as required by Section 1092(f)(1)(I) of Title 20 of the United States Code:
(i)
The offender’s full name.
(ii)
The offender’s known aliases.
(iii)
The offender’s gender.
(iv)
The offender’s race.
(v)
The offender’s physical description.
(vi)
The offender’s photograph.
(vii)
The offender’s date of birth.
(viii)
Crimes resulting in registration under Section 290.
(ix)
The date of last registration or reregistration.
(B)
The authority provided in this subdivision is in addition to the authority of a peace officer or law enforcement agency to provide information about a registered sex offender pursuant to Section 290.45, and exists notwithstanding Section 290.021 or any other provision of law.
(2)
Any law enforcement entity and employees of any law enforcement entity listed in paragraph (1) shall be immune from civil or criminal liability for good faith conduct under this subdivision.
(3)
Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to authorize campus police departments or, if the university, college, community college, or other institution has no police department, the police department or sheriff’s department with jurisdiction over the campus, to make disclosures about registrants intended to reach persons beyond the campus community.
(4)
(A)
Before being provided any information by an agency pursuant to this subdivision, a member of the campus community who requests that information shall sign a statement, on a form provided by the Department of Justice, stating that he or she is not a registered sex offender, that he or she understands the purpose of the release of information is to allow members of the campus community to protect themselves and their children from sex offenders, and that he or she understands it is unlawful to use information obtained pursuant to this subdivision to commit a crime against any registrant or to engage in illegal discrimination or harassment of any registrant. The signed statement shall be maintained in a file in the agency’s office for a minimum of five years.
(B)
An agency disseminating printed information pursuant to this subdivision shall maintain records of the means and dates of dissemination for a minimum of five years.
(5)
For purposes of this subdivision, “campus community” means those persons present at, and those persons regularly frequenting, any place associated with an institution of higher education, including campuses; administrative and educational offices; laboratories; satellite facilities owned or utilized by the institution for educational instruction, business, or institutional events; and public areas contiguous to any campus or facility that are regularly frequented by students, employees, or volunteers of the campus.
References
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 830.6.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 290.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 72330.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 290.46.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 1092.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 290.45.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 290.021.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026