§ 538g. — 538g. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 126, Sec. 6.)

California § 538g.

• Jurisdiction: California
• Code PEN: Penal Code - PEN
• Title: 13.
• Part 1.: TITLE 13. OF CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY
• Ch. 8.: CHAPTER 8. False Personation and Cheats

Text

(a)
Any person, other than a state, county, city, special district, or city and county officer or employee, who willfully wears, exhibits, or uses the authorized badge, photographic identification card, or insignia of a state, county, city, special district, or city and county officer or employee, with the intent of fraudulently personating a state, county, city, special district, or city and county officer or employee, or of fraudulently inducing the belief that they are a state, county, city, special district, or city and county officer or employee, or who willfully and credibly impersonates such an officer or member on an internet website, by other electronic means, or by any other means, for purposes of defrauding another, is guilty of a
misdemeanor.
(b)
Any person who willfully wears, exhibits, or uses, or willfully makes, sells, loans, gives, or transfers to another, any badge, photographic identification card, or insignia, which falsely purports to be for the use of a state, county, city, special district, or city and county officer or employee, or which so resembles the authorized badge, photographic identification card, or insignia of a state, county, city, special district, or city and county officer or employee as would deceive an ordinary reasonable person into believing that it is authorized for use by a state, county, city, special district, or city and county officer or employee, is guilty of a misdemeanor, except that any person who makes or sells any badge under the circumstances described in this subdivision is subject to a fine not to exceed fifteen thousand
dollars ($15,000).
(c)
This section shall not apply to either of the following:
(1)
Use of a badge solely as a prop for a motion picture, television, or video production, or an entertainment or theatrical event.
(2)
A badge supplied by a recognized employee organization as defined in Section 3501 of the Government Code or a state or international organization to which it is affiliated.

Legislative History

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 126, Sec. 6. (SB 805) Effective September 20, 2025.