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HomeEducation CodeCh. 6Art. 1§ 48902 School Violence Reporting Requirements

§ 48902 School Violence Reporting Requirements

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 48902 School Violence Reporting Requirements

Key Takeaways

  • •School principals must tell the police if a student does something that might be a serious crime, like hurting someone or having drugs.
  • •If a student is suspended or expelled for certain bad actions, the school must tell the police within one school day.
  • •The school must also share records of students with special needs if they report them to the police, but only if the law allows it.
  • •People who report these things to the police won’t get in trouble unless they lied on purpose.

Example

A student brings a knife to school and threatens another student.

The principal must call the police right away because threatening someone with a knife is a serious crime. The school will also tell the police about the suspension or expulsion within one day.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 48902 School Violence Reporting Requirements

(a) The principal of a school or the principal’s designee shall, before the suspension or expulsion of any pupil, notify the appropriate law enforcement authorities of the county or city in which the school is situated, of any acts of the pupil that may violate Section 245 of the Penal Code. (b) The principal of a school or the principal’s designee shall, within one schoolday after suspension or expulsion of any pupil, notify, by telephone or any other appropriate method chosen by the school, the appropriate law enforcement authorities of the county or the school district in which the school is situated of any acts of the pupil that may violate subdivision (c) or (d) of Section 48900. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the principal of a school or the principal’s designee shall notify the appropriate law enforcement authorities of the county or city in which the school is located of any acts of a pupil that may involve the possession or sale of narcotics or of a controlled substance or a violation of Section 626.9 or 626.10 of the Penal Code. The principal of a school or the principal’s designee shall report any act specified in paragraph (1) or (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 48915 committed by a pupil or nonpupil on a schoolsite to the city police or county sheriff with jurisdiction over the school and the school security department or the school police department, as applicable. (d) A principal, the principal’s designee, or any other person reporting a known or suspected act described in subdivision (a) or (b) is not civilly or criminally liable as a result of making any report authorized by this article unless it can be proven that a false report was made and that the person knew the report was false or the report was made with reckless disregard for the truth or falsity of the report. (e) The principal of a school or the principal’s designee reporting a criminal act committed by a schoolage individual with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 56026, shall ensure that copies of the special education and disciplinary records of the pupil are transmitted, as described in Section 1415(k)(6) of Title 20 of the United States Code, for consideration by the appropriate authorities to whom he or she reports the criminal act. Any copies of the pupil’s special education and disciplinary records may be transmitted only to the extent permissible under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g et seq.). (Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 76, Sec. 41. (AB 383) Effective January 1, 2014.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

enforcementeducationpossessionschoolportstudentoffensefine

Related Statutes

  • § 48916.1 Expelled Student Education Requirements
  • § 48900.2 Student Sexual Harassment Suspension
  • § 48900.5 Student Suspension Requirements
  • § 48900.9 Bullying Victim Support Referrals
  • § 48901.7 School Smartphone Use Policy

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 48902.
View Official Source