California § 278.5. 278.5. (Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 314.)

California Statutes

§ 278.5. — 278.5. (Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 314.)

California § 278.5.

Code PENPenal Code - PEN

Title9.

Part 1.TITLE 9. OF CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON INVOLVING SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC DECENCY AND GOOD MORALS

Ch. 4.CHAPTER 4. Child Abduction

This text of California § 278.5. (278.5. (Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 314.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Cal. Penal Code - PEN Code § 278.5. (2026).

Text

(a)Every person who takes, entices away, keeps, withholds, or conceals a child and maliciously deprives a lawful custodian of a right to custody, or a person of a right to visitation, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both that fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months, or two or three years, a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both that fine and imprisonment.

(b)Nothing contained in this section limits the court’s contempt power.

(c)A custody order obtained after the taking, enticing away, keeping, withholding, or concealing of a child does not constitute a defense to a crime charged under this section.

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(a)
Every person who takes, entices away, keeps, withholds, or conceals a child and maliciously deprives a lawful custodian of a right to custody, or a person of a right to visitation, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both that fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months, or two or three years, a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both that fine and imprisonment.
(b)
Nothing contained in this section limits the court’s contempt power.
(c)
A custody
order obtained after the taking, enticing away, keeping, withholding, or concealing of a child does not constitute a defense to a crime charged under this section.

Legislative History

Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 314. (AB 109) Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.