Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 790, Sec. 3. (SB 225) Effective January 1, 2020.
Article 2 - Disqualifications for Office or Employment
California Government Code — §§ 1020-1044
Sections (28)
Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 1115.
Enacted by Stats. 1943, Ch. 134.
A person is disqualified from holding any office upon conviction of designated crimes as specified in the Constitution and laws of the State.
Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 92, Sec. 1. (SB 521) Effective January 1, 2026.
Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 92, Sec. 2. (SB 521) Effective January 1, 2026.
1021.5, shall be disqualified from any future public employment in an equivalent role.
Enacted by Stats. 1943, Ch. 134.
Other provisions respecting disqualification for particular offices are contained in the Constitution and in the laws concerning the various offices.
Enacted by Stats. 1943, Ch. 134.
A person is ineligible to hold office or employment of any kind under the State, any county, city, district or other political or governmental unit of the State if he, while either a citizen or resident of the United States, has by oath bound himself to support, maintain or further the military or political activities or policies of any foreign government or of any official thereof or society or association therein or to obey the orders or directions of any foreign government or of any official thereof.
Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 776, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1999.
Any person who holds any office or employment under the state or any county, city, district or other political or governmental unit of the state and who has taken any oath described in Section 1023 is relieved of ineligibility to office or employment if he or she petitions any superior court for leave to renounce all promises or obligations assumed by him or her under that oath, and renounces all those promises or obligations before a judge of that court.
Any other person who has taken or hereafter takes any such oath may at any time be relieved of ineligibility by petitioning any superior court and renouncing all such promises or obligations in like manner.
Enacted by Stats. 1943, Ch. 134.
Every person who exercises the duties of any office in violation of the provisions of this article relative to oaths, and every person who knowingly appoints to office a person ineligible by reason of the provisions of this article relative to oaths, is guilty of a felony.
Enacted by Stats. 1943, Ch. 134.
Every person who exercises the duties of any employment in violation of the provisions of this article relative to oaths, and every person who knowingly employs a person ineligible by reason of the provisions of this article relative to oaths, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Added by Stats. 1953, Ch. 1646.
The Legislature of the State of California finds that:
There is a clear and present danger, which the Legislature of the State of California finds is great and imminent, that in order to advance the program, policies and objectives of the world communism movement, communist organizations in the State of California and their members will engage in concerted effort to hamper, restrict, interfere with, impede, or nullify the efforts of the State and the public agencies of the State to comply with and enforce the laws of the State of California and their members will infiltrate and seek employment by the State and its public agencies.
Amended by Stats. 1953, Ch. 1646.
It shall be sufficient cause for the dismissal of any public employee when such public employee advocates or is knowingly a member of the Communist Party or of an organization which during the time of his membership he knows advocates overthrow of the Government of the United States or of any state by force or violence.
Amended by Stats. 1957, Ch. 2106.
It shall be the duty of any public employee who may be subpenaed or ordered by the governing body of the state or local agency by which such employee is employed, to appear before such governing body, or a committee or subcommittee thereof, or by a duly authorized committee of the Congress of the United States or of the Legislature of this State, or any subcommittee of any such committee, to appear before such committee or subcommittee, and to answer under oath a question or questions propounded by such governing body, committee or subcommittee, or a member or counsel thereof, relating to:
Any employee who fails or refuses to appear or to answer under oath on any ground whatsoever any such questions so propounded shall be guilty of insubordination and guilty of violating this section and shall be suspended and dismissed from his employment in the manner provided by law.
Added by Stats. 1955, Ch. 84.
Sections 1027.5, 1028.1, and 1028, added by Chapter 1418 of the Statutes of 1947, are not applicable to school district employees. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Education Code shall apply to such employees.
Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 28, Sec. 52. (SB 1380) Effective January 1, 2023.
of any offense in any other jurisdiction which would have been a felony if committed in this state.
factually innocent of the crime for which they were convicted at the time of entry of the order.
Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 1367) of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Penal Code.
convicted of, or adjudicated through an administrative, military, or civil judicial process requiring not less than clear and convincing evidence, including a hearing that meets the requirements of the administrative adjudication provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2), as having committed, any act that is a violation of Section 115, 115.3, 116, 116.5, or 117 of, or of any offense described in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 92), Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 118), Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 132), or Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 142) of Title 7 of Part 1 of the Penal Code, including any act committed in another jurisdiction that would have been a violation of any of those sections if committed in this state.
who has been issued the certification described in Section 13510.1 of the Penal Code, and has had that certification revoked by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, has voluntarily surrendered that certification pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 13510.8, or having met the minimum requirement for issuance of certification, has been denied issuance of certification.
a law enforcement officer, engaged in serious misconduct that would have resulted in their certification being revoked by the commission if employed as a peace officer in this state.
from being a peace officer solely on the basis of the plea or finding if the court deems the offense to be a misdemeanor or reduces the offense to a misdemeanor.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or the Division of Juvenile Justice, or a county probation department, may refuse to employ that person regardless of their qualifications.
by flood, fire, pestilence or similar public calamity, or to exercise any power conferred by law to summon assistance in making arrests or preventing the commission of any criminal offense.
Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 424, Sec. 1. Effective July 12, 1984. Operative January 1, 1985, by Sec. 5 of Ch. 424.
The Department of Corrections and the Department of the Youth Authority shall complete a background investigation, using as guidelines standards defined by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, of any applicant for employment as a peace officer before the applicant may be employed or begin training as a peace officer. In order to reduce potential duplication of effort by individual institutions, investigations shall be accomplished by each department on a centralized or regional basis to the extent administratively feasible.
Repealed and added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 113, Sec. 29. (SB 160) Effective September 17, 2025.
Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 175, Sec. 1. (AB 992) Effective January 1, 2026.
Each class of public officers or employees declared by law to be peace officers shall meet all of the following minimum standards:
school equivalency test approved by the State Department of Education that indicates high school graduation level, pass the California High School Proficiency Examination, or have attained a two-year, four-year, or advanced degree from an accredited college or university. The high school shall be either a United States public school, an accredited United States Department of Defense high school, or an accredited or approved public or nonpublic high school. Any accreditation or approval required by this subdivision shall be from a state or local government educational agency using state or local government approved accreditation, licensing, registration, or other approval standards, a regional accrediting association, an accrediting association recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department of Education, an accrediting association holding full membership in the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA), an organization holding full membership in AdvancED or Cognia, an organization
holding full membership in the Council for American Private Education (CAPE), or an accrediting association recognized by the National Federation of Nonpublic School State Accrediting Associations (NFNSSAA).
A foreign college or university degree may be evaluated for equivalency by a credential evaluation service holding membership in the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).
holds a valid California license to practice medicine, has successfully completed a postgraduate medical residency education program in psychiatry accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and has at least the equivalent of five full-time years of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of emotional and mental disorders, including the equivalent of three full-time years accrued after completion of the psychiatric residency program.
The physician and surgeon or psychologist shall also have met any applicable education and training procedures set forth by the California Commission on Peace Officer
Standards and Training designed for the conduct of preemployment psychological screening of peace officers.
Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 256, Sec. 4. (SB 781) Effective January 1, 2020.
authorization are presented to the employer by a sworn officer or other authorized representative of the employing law enforcement agency.
or regulation.
other law enforcement agency applicant.
Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 437, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2009.
Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336) and paragraph (3) of subdivision (e) of Section 12940, the collection of nonmedical or nonpsychological information of peace officers, in accordance with a thorough background investigation, as required by subdivision (d) of Section 1031, may be deferred until after a conditional offer of employment is issued if the employer can demonstrate that the information could not reasonably have been collected prior to the offer.
Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 322, Sec. 2. (AB 846) Effective January 1, 2021.
religion, disability, and sexual orientation have the same meaning as incorporated by Section 422.55 of the Penal Code.
Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 405, Sec. 3. (AB 89) Effective January 1, 2022.
be at least 21 years of age at the time of appointment.
Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 175, Sec. 2. (AB 992) Effective January 1, 2026.
degrees or certificates no later than 36 months after receiving their basic certificate by the commission:
(A) An associate’s degree from a community college that is accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
(B) A bachelor’s degree or other advanced degree from a college or university that is accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
(C) A modern policing degree, as described in subdivision (b).
(D) A professional policing certificate, as described in subdivision (c).
separation in good standing.
by the United States Department of Education.
all of the following criteria:
commission-certified academy shall count toward the modern policing degree and professional policing certificate and may count toward any associate degree or bachelor’s degree described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
commission-certified academy shall not solely satisfy the unit requirement for a professional policing certificate.
Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 419, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.
Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 339, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.
Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 77, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2009.
(A) Information that is required to be kept confidential under the Gambling Control Act (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 19800) of Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code) or any tribal-state gaming compact, including, but not limited to, applications for licenses or findings of suitability, and information provided by or received from a tribe in connection with a tribal-state gaming compact.
(B) Access to state summary criminal history information, as defined in Section 11105 of the Penal Code, whether in full or in summary.
(C) Access to cash, checks, or other accountable items.
Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 71, Sec. 66. (SB 1304) Effective January 1, 2015.
information contained in the information systems and devices of the Exchange, or any other information as required by federal law or guidance applicable to state-based exchanges for the purposes of obtaining information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal convictions and also 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 recognizance pending trial or appeal.
in paragraph (1) as part of their services contract, interagency agreement, or public entity agreement with the board.
subdivision (a).
Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 19, Sec. 10. (AB 111) Effective June 27, 2017.
contractor, agent, volunteer, vendor, subcontractor, or employee of a contractor of the state entity or its designee shall be furnished to the Department of Justice for the purpose of obtaining information as to the existence and nature of a record of state or federal level convictions and state or federal level arrests for which the Department of Justice establishes that the applicant was released on bail or on his or her own recognizance pending trial.
services contract or interagency agreement entered into, renewed, or amended on or after July 1, 2017, that includes access to federal tax information shall include a provision requiring the agency or contractor to agree to criminal background checks of its employees, contractors, agents, volunteers, vendors, or subcontractors who will have access to federal tax information as part of their services contract or interagency agreement with the state entity or its designee.
entity or its designee that has requested the information as provided under subdivision (p) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code.
an Internal Revenue Service-approved exchange agreement, and that is subject to the requirements set forth in Section 6103(p)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to safeguards.