California · Penal Code

PEN §626.7: (a) If a person who is not a student, officer, or employee of a public school, and who is not required by his or her employment to be on the campus or any other facility owned, operated, or controlled

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

A person who is not authorized to be on school grounds and fails to leave when ordered by school administrators, or returns without permission, commits a misdemeanor punishable by jail time and/or fines, with enhanced penalties for repeat offenses.

Read the full statutory text
(a) If a person who is not a student, officer, or employee of a public school, and who is not required by his or her employment to be on the campus or any other facility owned, operated, or controlled by the governing board of that school, enters a campus or facility outside of the common areas where public business is conducted, and it reasonably appears to the chief administrative officer of the campus or facility, or to an officer or employee designated by the chief administrative officer to maintain order on the campus or facility, that the person is committing any act likely to interfere with the peaceful conduct of the activities of the campus or facility, or has entered the campus or facility for the purpose of committing any such act, the chief administrative officer or his or her designee may direct the person to leave the campus or facility. If that person fails to do so or if the person returns without following the posted requirements to contact the administrative offices of the campus, he or she is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished as follows: (1) Upon a first conviction, by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not more than six months, or by both that fine and imprisonment. (2) If the defendant has been previously convicted once of a violation of any offense defined in this chapter or Section 415.5, by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not less than 10 days or more than six months, or by both that imprisonment and a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), and the defendant shall not be released on probation, parole, or any other basis until he or she has served not less than 10 days. (3) If the defendant has been previously convicted two or more times of a violation of any offense defined in this chapter or Section 415.5, by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not less than 90 days or more than six months, or by both that imprisonment and a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), and the defendant shall not be released on probation, parole, or any other basis until he or she has served not less than 90 days. For purposes of this section, a representative of a school employee organization engaged in activities related to representation, as provided for in Chapter 10.7 (commencing with Section 3540) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code, shall be deemed a person required by his or her employment to be in a school building or on the grounds of a school. (b) The provisions of this section shall not be utilized to impinge upon the lawful exercise of constitutionally protected rights of freedom of speech or assembly. (c) When a person is directed to leave pursuant to subdivision (a), the person directing him or her to leave shall inform the person that if he or she reenters the campus or facility without following the posted requirements to contact the administrative offices of the campus, he or she will be guilty of a crime. (d) Notwithstanding any other subdivision of this section, the chief administrative officer, or his or her designee, shall allow a person previously directed to leave the campus or facility pursuant to this section to reenter the campus if the person is a parent or guardian of a pupil enrolled at the campus or facility who has to retrieve the pupil for disciplinary reasons, for medical attention, or for a family emergency.

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.