California Legal Codes and Statutes

§ 1531

The officer may break open any outer or inner door or window of a house, or any part of a house, or anything therein, to execute the warrant, if, after notice of his authority and purpose, he is refused admittance.

Cite this section

Cal. Pen. Code § 1531 (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-1531

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.