California · Civil Code

CIV §1798.202: (a) A petition filed pursuant to Section 1798.

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes a court procedure for petitioners to seek orders requiring redaction or removal of personal identifying information allegedly used unlawfully in business entity filings, with provisions for enforcement by the Secretary of State.

Read the full statutory text
(a) A petition filed pursuant to Section 1798.201 shall be heard and determined based on declarations, affidavits, police reports, or other material, relevant, and reliable information submitted by the parties or ordered to be made part of the record by the court. (b) If the court determines the petition is meritorious and there is no reasonable cause to believe that the victim’s personal identifying information has been used lawfully in the business entity filing, the court shall make a finding that the victim’s personal identifying information has been used unlawfully in the business entity filing and shall issue an order certifying this determination. (c) Upon making a determination pursuant to subdivision (b), the court shall do the following: (1) Order the name and associated personal identifying information in the business entity filing to be redacted or labeled to show that the data is impersonated and does not reflect the victim’s identity. (2) Order the data to be removed from publicly accessible electronic indexes and databases. (d) A determination made pursuant to subdivision (b) may be vacated at any time if the petition or any information submitted in support of the petition is found to contain any material misrepresentation or was obtained by fraud. (e) The Judicial Council shall develop a form for issuing an order of determination pursuant to this section. (f) An order issued pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be filed with the Secretary of State. (g) If an order has been filed pursuant to subdivision (f) within the record of a limited liability company or a corporation, the Secretary of State may cancel the business entity that is the subject of the order if, after 60 days, an updated statement of information has not been filed on behalf of the entity with the Secretary of State. The statement of information shall not contain any information ordered to be redacted pursuant to subdivision (c).

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.