California · Vehicle Code

VEH §40510: (a) Prior to the date upon which a defendant promised to appear, or prior to the expiration of any lawful continuance of that date, or upon receipt of information that an action has been filed and pri

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes procedures for defendants to deposit bail before their court date and requires courts to adopt written policies for accepting personal checks as bail payment.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Prior to the date upon which a defendant promised to appear, or prior to the expiration of any lawful continuance of that date, or upon receipt of information that an action has been filed and prior to the scheduled court date, the defendant may deposit bail with the magistrate or the person authorized to receive a deposit of bail. (b) For any offense which is not declared to be a felony, a deposit of bail or a penalty may be by a personal check meeting the criteria established in accordance with subdivision (c). (c) Each court, sheriff, or other agency which regularly accepts deposits of bail or penalties, shall adopt a written policy governing the acceptance of personal checks in payment of bail or penalty deposits. The policy shall permit clerks and other appropriate officers to accept personal checks under conditions which tend to assure the validity of the checks. (d) The written policy governing the acceptance of personal checks adopted pursuant to subdivision (c) shall provide that the payee of the deposit made by personal check shall be the agency accepting the deposit.

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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.