Pen. Code, § 1214.1 · Chapter 2. The Execution
Pen. Code, § 1214.1
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) On or after July 1, 2022, in addition to any other penalty in infraction, misdemeanor, or felony cases, the court may impose a civil assessment of up to one hundred dollars ($100) against a defendant who fails, after notice and without good cause, to appear in court for a proceeding authorized by law or who fails to pay all or any portion of a fine ordered by the court or to pay an installment of bail as agreed to under Section 40510.5 of the Vehicle Code. This assessment shall be deposited with the county treasurer as provided in Section 1463.001, and transmitted to the State Treasurer for deposit into the General Fund.
(b) (1) The assessment imposed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not become effective until at least 20 calendar days after the court mails a warning notice to the defendant by first-class mail to the address shown on the notice to appear or to the defendant’s last known address. If the defendant appears within the time specified in the notice and shows good cause for the failure to appear or for the failure to pay a fine or installment of bail, the court shall vacate the assessment.
(2) Payment of bail, fines, penalties, fees, or a civil assessment shall not be required in order for the court to vacate the assessment at the time of appearance pursuant to paragraph (1). Payment of a civil assessment shall not be required to schedule a court hearing on a pending underlying charge.
(c) If a civil assessment is imposed pursuant to subdivision (a), no bench warrant or warrant of arrest shall be issued with respect to the failure to appear at the proceeding for which the assessment is imposed or the failure to pay the fine or installment of bail. An outstanding, unserved bench warrant or warrant of arrest for a failure to appear or for a failure to pay a fine or installment of bail shall be recalled prior to the subsequent imposition of a civil assessment.
(d) The assessment imposed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be subject to the due process requirements governing defense and collection of civil money judgments generally.
(e) Each court and county shall maintain the collection program that was in effect on July 1, 2005, unless otherwise agreed to by the court and county. If a court and a county do not agree on a plan for the collection of civil assessments imposed pursuant to this section, or any other collections under Section 1463.010, after the implementation of Sections 68085.6 and 68085.7 of the Government Code, the court or the county may request arbitration by a third party mutually agreed upon by the Administrative Director of the Courts and the California State Association of Counties.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 57, Sec. 18. (AB 199) Effective June 30, 2022.
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=1214.1.
- Text hash
- sha256 ee3d992cce767b094510296b5c2ea0f9338f87fbf2fdd7eb2c248f7dbe2c3880
- 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
BenchPath cards that rely on this text
- Kern County Superior Court — Standing Order STO-22-0014 — Authority of Deputy Clerk over Payment and/or Conversion of Civil Assessments
- Lassen County Superior Court — Criminal
- Mariposa County Superior Court — Collections
- Modoc County Superior Court — Modoc County Criminal Division
- Placer County Superior Court — Traffic Division
- Plumas Superior Court — Criminal
- San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Local Rules of Court (effective July 1, 2026) — Chapter 10: Procedural Rules: Criminal and Traffic
- Tehama County Superior Court — Criminal Division
- Trinity County Superior Court — Missed Deadlines
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.
Government Code
Penal Code
Cited by 15 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Pen. Code, § 1214.1. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Government Code
- Gov. Code, § 68085.1Printed as Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code
- Gov. Code, § 68085.5Printed as Sections 166 and 1214.1 of the Penal Code
- Gov. Code, § 68085.6Printed as Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code
- Gov. Code, § 68085.7Printed as Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code | Section 166 or 1214.1 of the Penal Code | Sections 1214.1 and 1463.001 of the Penal Code
Penal Code
Vehicle Code
- Veh. Code, § 40510.5Printed as Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code
- Veh. Code, § 40512Printed as Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code
- Veh. Code, § 42007Printed as Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code
- Veh. Code, § 42008.5Printed as Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code
- Veh. Code, § 42008.7Printed as Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code
- Veh. Code, § 42008.8Printed as Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code
California Rules of Court
California Standards of Judicial Administration
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.