California · Penal Code

PEN §646.5: No person shall knowingly and directly solicit employment from any injured person or from any other person to obtain authorization on behalf of the injured person, as an investigator to investigate th

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

It is illegal to directly solicit employment as an investigator from an injured person or their representative without attorney involvement. Violation is a misdemeanor.

Read the full statutory text
No person shall knowingly and directly solicit employment from any injured person or from any other person to obtain authorization on behalf of the injured person, as an investigator to investigate the accident or act which resulted in injury or death to such person or damage to the property of such person. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the soliciting of employment as an investigator from such injured person’s attorney. Any person violating any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. This section shall not apply to any business agent or attorney employed by a labor organization.

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.