Gov. Code, § 11450.20 · Article 11. Subpoenas
Gov. Code, § 11450.20
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) Subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum shall be issued by the agency or presiding officer at the request of a party, or by the attorney of record for a party, in accordance with Sections 1985 to 1985.4, inclusive, of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(b) The process extends to all parts of the state and shall be served in accordance with Sections 1987 and 1988 of the Code of Civil Procedure. A subpoena or subpoena duces tecum may also be delivered by certified mail return receipt requested or by messenger. Service by messenger shall be effected when the witness acknowledges receipt of the subpoena to the sender, by telephone, by mail, or in person, and identifies himself or herself either by reference to date of birth and driver’s license number or Department of Motor Vehicles identification number, or the sender may verify receipt of the subpoena by obtaining other identifying information from the recipient. The sender shall make a written notation of the acknowledgment. A subpoena issued and acknowledged pursuant to this section has the same force and effect as a subpoena personally served. Failure to comply with a subpoena issued and acknowledged pursuant to this section may be punished as a contempt and the subpoena may so state. A party requesting a continuance based upon the failure of a witness to appear at the time and place required for the appearance or testimony pursuant to a subpoena, shall prove that the party has complied with this section. The continuance shall only be granted for a period of time that would allow personal service of the subpoena and in no event longer than that allowed by law.
(c) No witness is obliged to attend unless the witness is a resident of the state at the time of service.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 938, Sec. 21. Effective January 1, 1996. Operative July 1, 1997, by Sec. 98 of Ch. 938 and Section 11400.10.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
- Official file
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=11450.20.
- Text hash
- sha256 8b7d2f9d8098fd5cd918ef8938c525992eb55fa3fd74a8ab37d2fff191d0a711
- Composed by
- compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Code of Civil Procedure
- Code Civ. Proc., § 1985Printed as Sections 1985 to 1985.4, inclusive, of the Code of Civil Procedure
- Code Civ. Proc., § 1985.4Printed as Sections 1985 to 1985.4, inclusive, of the Code of Civil Procedure
- Code Civ. Proc., § 1987Printed as Sections 1987 and 1988 of the Code of Civil Procedure
- Code Civ. Proc., § 1988Printed as Sections 1987 and 1988 of the Code of Civil Procedure
Cited by 2 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Gov. Code, § 11450.20. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.