California Legal Codes and Statutes

§ 1523

Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1078, Sec. 1.5. Effective January 1, 1997.

A search warrant is an order in writing, in the name of the people, signed by a magistrate, directed to a peace officer, commanding him or her to search for a person or persons, a thing or things, or personal property, and, in the case of a thing or things or personal property, bring the same before the magistrate.

Cite this section

Cal. Pen. Code § 1523 (2026)
https://ca.codecond.com/codes/pen/part-2-of-criminal-procedure/title-12-of-special-proceedings-of-a-criminal-nature/chapter-3-of-search-warrants/section-1523

Other sections in Chapter 3 - Of Search Warrants

§ 1523§ 1524§ 1524.1§ 1524.2§ 1524.3§ 1524.4§ 1525§ 1526§ 1527§ 1528…§ 1536§ 1536.5§ 1537§ 1538§ 1538.5§ 1539§ 1540§ 1541§ 1542§ 1542.5

This content is for reference, learning, and study purposes only. All legal text should be verified against the official California Legislative Information website, which is the authoritative source for California law. Data last processed: February 14, 2026.