Pen. Code, § 11411 · Article 4.5. Terrorizing
Pen. Code, § 11411
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to criminalize the placement or display of the Nazi Hakenkreuz (hooked cross), also known as the Nazi swastika that was the official emblem of the Nazi party, for the purpose of terrorizing a person. This legislation is not intended to criminalize the placement or display of the ancient swastika symbols that are associated with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism and are symbols of peace.
(b) A person who hangs a noose, knowing it to be a symbol representing a threat to life, on the private property of another, without authorization, for the purpose of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property or in reckless disregard of the risk of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property, or who hangs a noose, knowing it to be a symbol representing a threat to life, on the property of a school, college campus, public place, place of worship, cemetery, or place of employment, for the purpose of terrorizing a person who attends, works at, or is otherwise associated with the school, college campus, public place, place of worship, cemetery, or place of employment, shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months or two or three years, by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment for the first conviction.
(c) A person who places or displays a sign, mark, symbol, emblem, or other physical impression, including, but not limited to, a Nazi swastika, on the private property of another, without authorization, for the purpose of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property or in reckless disregard of the risk of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property, or who places or displays a sign, mark, symbol, emblem, or other physical impression, including, but not limited to, a Nazi swastika, on the property of a school, college campus, public place, place of worship, cemetery, or place of employment, for the purpose of terrorizing a person who attends, works at, or is otherwise associated with the school, college campus, public place, place of worship, cemetery, or place of employment, shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months or two or three years, by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or in a county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment for the first conviction.
(d) A person who burns or desecrates a cross or other religious symbol, knowing it to be a religious symbol, on the private property of another without authorization for the purpose of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property or in reckless disregard of the risk of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property, or who burns, desecrates, or destroys a cross or other religious symbol, knowing it to be a religious symbol, on the property of a school, college campus, public place, place of worship, cemetery, or place of employment for the purpose of terrorizing a person who attends, works at, or is otherwise associated with the school, college campus, public place, place of worship, cemetery, or place of employment shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months or two or three years, by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment for the first conviction.
(e) A second or subsequent conviction pursuant to subdivision (b), (c), or (d) shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months or two or three years, by a fine of not more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.
(f) As used in this section, “terrorize” means to cause a person of ordinary emotions and sensibilities to fear for personal safety.
(g) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision of this section or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 397, Sec. 1. (AB 2282) Effective January 1, 2023.
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=PEN§ionNum=11411.
- Text hash
- sha256 6ed6b7b6988a692a4868e034d67f031241d49027c120635565c03b216f5c814f
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- 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.
Penal Code
Cited by 5 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Pen. Code, § 11411. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 422.85Printed as Section 302, 423.2, 594.3, 11411, 11412, or 11413
- Pen. Code, § 422.865Printed as Section 302, 423.2, 594.3, 11411, 11412, or 11413
- Pen. Code, § 1547Printed as Section 11411
- Pen. Code, § 3053.4Printed as Section 422.6, 422.7, 422.75, 594.3, or 11411
- Pen. Code, § 11418Printed as Section 11411, 11412, 11413, 11418, 11418.1, 11418.5, 11419, 11460, 18715, 18725, or 18740
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