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HomeElections CodeDiv. 18Ch. 7Art. 3§ 18622 Buying Petition Signatures Prohibited

§ 18622 Buying Petition Signatures Prohibited

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

§ 18622 Buying Petition Signatures Prohibited

This law makes it a crime to pay for or buy a petition that already has signatures on it, but it does let you pay the person who collected the signatures.

Key Takeaways

  • •You cannot buy a petition that already has signatures.
  • •If you do, you could face up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.
  • •Paying the circulator for gathering signatures is allowed.

Example

A campaign group asks a petition circulator to sell them the completed petition after the signatures are gathered, offering cash for it.

Because the petition already has signatures, buying it is illegal under this law, and the buyer could be sent to jail for up to a year or fined up to $1,000.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 18622 Buying Petition Signatures Prohibited

Every person who offers to buy or does buy from a circulator any referendum, initiative, or recall petition on which one or more persons have affixed their signatures is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both. This section is not intended to prohibit compensation of a circulator, for his or her services, by a proponent of the petition or his or her agent. (Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

misdemeanorreferenduminitiativerecall petitioncirculatorcompensation

Related Statutes

  • § 18610 Petition Signature Forgery Ban
  • § 18631 Petition Signature Theft Penalty
  • § 18603 Paying For Petition Signatures
  • § 18612 Petition Signature Fraud
  • § 18650 Petition Signature Use Restrictions

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 18622.
View Official Source