CALIFORNIAState file

CALIFORNIA FIELD FILE

What California law actually says, in the words people actually use. Every answer names its source.

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Traffic stopsGetting pulled over, documents, searches, and what happens roadside.
Being stoppedOn foot, on the street, and what you owe an officer who stops you.
Marijuana and drugsWhat the state legalized, what it did not, and where state and federal law disagree.
Impaired drivingImpaired driving stops, field tests, breath and blood tests, and implied consent.
Court and moneyDebt, eviction, small claims, records and school attendance. The side of the system with no officer in it.
Your homeWarrants, the door, consent, and the exceptions that let police inside.
RecordingFilming police, recording calls, and whose consent the law requires.
Carrying a firearmCarry rules, the duty to disclose, where guns are barred, and self defense.
Charges and penaltiesHow offenses are graded, jail ranges, fines, and repeat offense steps.
How you carry yourselfSilence, counsel, complying now and contesting later.

Someone asked

“Is weed legal in California now?”

Marijuana And Drugs

In California, a person 21 years of age or older may lawfully possess, transport, buy or give away to other adults without compensation not more than 28.5 grams of cannabis, and not more than eight grams of concentrated cannabis, and may grow not more than six living plants and keep what they produce. Cannabis involved in conduct the section makes lawful is not contraband, and that conduct is not a basis for detention, search or arrest.

Health & Saf. Code 11362.1

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Legal information, not legal advice. Every block on this site carries the source it rests on.

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About this guide — education built from the California codes as the Legislative Counsel publishes them, not a law degree in a webpage. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed California attorney or a legal aid office. Current as of September 2026.

This guide covers common situations in real California encounters. Not the whole legal code, not a replacement for a lawyer.