Section 16504.5.
Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 16504.5.
in effect(a)
(1)
Notwithstanding any other law, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code, a child welfare agency may secure from an appropriate governmental criminal justice agency the state summary criminal history information, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code, through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System for the following purposes:
(A)
To conduct an investigation pursuant to Section 11166.3 of the Penal Code or an investigation involving a child in which the child is alleged to come within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300.
(B)
(i)
To assess the appropriateness and safety of placing, pursuant to Section 309 or 361.45, a child who has been detained or is a dependent of the court in the home of a relative, as defined in Section 319, or a nonrelative extended family member, as defined in Section 362.7.
(ii)
When a relative or nonrelative extended family member who has been assessed pursuant to clause (i) and approved as a caregiver moves to a different county and continued placement of the child with that person is intended, the move shall be considered an emergency situation for purposes of this subparagraph.
(C)
To attempt to locate a parent or guardian pursuant to Section 311 of a child who is the subject of dependency court proceedings.
(D)
To obtain information about the background of a nonminor who has petitioned to reenter foster care under subdivision (e) of Section 388, in order to assess the appropriateness and safety of placing the nonminor in a foster care or other placement setting with minor dependent children.
(2)
Any time that a child welfare agency initiates a criminal background check through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System for the purpose described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) and the child is placed with the relative or nonrelative extended family member, the agency shall ensure that a state-level fingerprint check is initiated pursuant to Section 16519.5 of this code and Section 8712 of the Family Code.
(b)
Criminal
justice personnel shall cooperate with requests for criminal history information authorized pursuant to this section and shall provide the information to the requesting entity in a timely manner.
(c)
Any law enforcement officer or person authorized by this section to receive the information who obtains the information in the record and knowingly provides the information to a person not authorized by law to receive the information is guilty of a misdemeanor, as specified in Section 11142 of the Penal Code.
(d)
Information obtained pursuant to this section shall not be used for any purposes other than those described in subdivision (a).
(e)
This section shall not preclude a nonminor petitioning to reenter foster care or a
relative or other person living in a relative’s home from refuting any of the information obtained by law enforcement if the individual believes the state- or federal-level criminal records check revealed erroneous information.
(f)
(1)
A state or county welfare agency may submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of parents or legal guardians when determining their suitability for reunification with a dependent child subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, for the purposes of obtaining information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal convictions and state or federal arrests, as well as information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal arrests for which the Department of Justice
establishes that the person is free on bail or on his or her own recognizance pending trial or appeal. Of the information received by the Department of Justice pursuant to this subdivision, only the parent’s or legal guardian’s criminal history for the time period following the removal of the child from the parent or legal guardian shall be considered.
(2)
A county welfare agency or county probation office may submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of nonminors petitioning to reenter foster care pursuant to Section 388, in order to assess the appropriateness and safety of placing the nonminor in a foster care or other placement setting with minor dependent children.
(3)
When received, the
Department of Justice shall forward to the Federal Bureau of Investigation requests for federal summary criminal history information received pursuant to this subdivision. The Department of Justice shall review the information returned from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and respond to the state or county welfare agency.
(4)
The Department of Justice shall provide a response to the state or county welfare agency pursuant to subdivision (p) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code.
(5)
The state or county welfare agency shall not request from the Department of Justice subsequent arrest notification service, as provided pursuant to Section 11105.2 of the Penal Code, for individuals described in this subdivision.
(6)
The
Department of Justice shall charge a fee sufficient to cover the costs of processing the request described in this subdivision.
(g)
A fee, determined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and collected by the Department of Justice, shall be charged for each federal-level criminal offender record information request submitted pursuant to this section and Section 361.4.
References
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 11105.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 11166.3.
referencesCal. Family Code - FAM § 8712.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 11142.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 11105.2.
referencesCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 300.
referencesCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 309.
referencesCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 319.
referencesCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 362.7.
referencesCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 311.
referencesCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 388.
referencesCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 16519.5.
referencesCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 361.4.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026