CALIFORNIA STATUTORY LAW

California Chaptered Laws

In California, every bill that becomes a law is assigned a chapter number and referred to as a
chaptered law. The first chaptered law enacted each year is designated as chapter 1 (c. 1 or ch.
1) and each subsequent law is numbered sequentially (c. 2, c. 3, etc.). The official print version
of California session laws is called Statutes and Amendments to the Codes; it contains all
chaptered laws arranged chronologically. Chaptered laws are available in many online
databases, and for free on the California State Assembly Clerk’s and the California Legislative
Information websites. The year of passage and the chapter number are used to cite to a
particular chaptered law.

Chaptered laws in California generally go into effect on January 1 of the year following the
law’s enactment unless a different effective date is specified.

California Codes

The subject-arranged compilation of California statutes consists of a series of codes (e.g., Civil
Code, Penal Code, and Government Code). Each code covers a broad subject area and is
divided into sections. A California code section citation includes the abbreviated name of the
code and the pertinent section number.

The California statutory codes can be found in the following sources:

 California Legislative Information website

This website provides the only official, authenticated version of the California
statutory codes; there is no official print version. The California codes on this website
do not include annotations.
  West’s Annotated California Codes (Westlaw)

 Deering’s California Codes Annotated (Lexis)

West’s Annotated California Codes and Deering’s California Codes Annotated, both
unofficial versions of the California statutory codes, are published in print and
available on Westlaw and Lexis respectively. Both publications are annotated, and the
online versions are kept very current.

DEERING’S CALIFORNIA CODES ANNOTATED ON LEXIS

Annotations

Table of
Contents

Enactment
note