§ 18640 Signature Petition Fraud Penalties

Elections Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law says that if you are paid to collect signatures for a ballot measure or recall and you don't give the signed petition to the people who hired you, you can be fined up to $5,000 or sent to jail.

Key Takeaways

•If you collect signatures for a paid campaign, you must give the petition to the campaign.
•Being paid does not let you keep the petition for yourself.
•You can be fined up to $5,000, go to state prison for up to 16 months, county jail for up to 1 year, or both.

Example

A political group hires Jane to gather signatures for a new law. Jane gets paid for each signature, but after collecting them she keeps the papers and never hands them to the group.

Because Jane took the money and then failed to turn over the petition, the law says she could be fined or jailed.

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

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18640 Signature Petition Fraud Penalties

Any person working for the proponent or proponents of an initiative or referendum measure or recall petition who solicits signatures to qualify the measure or petition and accepts any payment therefor and who fails to surrender the measure or petition to the proponents thereof for filing is punishable by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment. (Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 94. (AB 109) Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

initiative referendum measure recall petition solicits signatures fails to surrender fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000)imprisonment

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 18640.

§ 18640 Signature Petition Fraud Penalties

Elections Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

§ 18640 Signature Petition Fraud Penalties

Key Takeaways

•If you collect signatures for a paid campaign, you must give the petition to the campaign.
•Being paid does not let you keep the petition for yourself.
•You can be fined up to $5,000, go to state prison for up to 16 months, county jail for up to 1 year, or both.

Example

A political group hires Jane to gather signatures for a new law. Jane gets paid for each signature, but after collecting them she keeps the papers and never hands them to the group.

Because Jane took the money and then failed to turn over the petition, the law says she could be fined or jailed.

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

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18640 Signature Petition Fraud Penalties

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

initiative referendum measure recall petition solicits signatures fails to surrender fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000)imprisonment

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 18640.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References