California · Penal Code

PEN §592: (a) Every person who shall, without authority of the owner or managing agent, and with intent to defraud, take water from any canal, ditch, flume, or reservoir used for the purpose of holding or conve

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Taking water from irrigation or utility infrastructure without permission and intent to defraud is a misdemeanor; it becomes punishable by state prison if water value exceeds $950 or defendant has prior convictions.

Read the full statutory text

(a) Every person who shall, without authority of the owner or managing agent, and with intent to defraud, take water from any canal, ditch, flume, or reservoir used for the purpose of holding or conveying water for manufacturing, agricultural, mining, irrigating, generation of power, or domestic uses is guilty of a misdemeanor. (b) If the total retail value of all the water taken is more than nine hundred fifty dollars ($950), or if the defendant has previously been convicted of an offense under this section or any former section that would be an offense under this section, or of an offense under the laws of another state or of the United States that would have been an offense under this section if committed in this state, then the violation is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or in the state prison.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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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.