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HomeEvidence CodeDiv. 10Ch. 2Art. 11§ 1311 Family History Hearsay Exception

§ 1311 Family History Hearsay Exception

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

§ 1311 Family History Hearsay Exception

Key Takeaways

  • •Family members can talk about important family events (like births, marriages, or deaths) in court, even if they didn’t see it happen themselves.
  • •The person telling the story must be unavailable to testify in court.
  • •The person must be a close family member or very close to the family to know the details well.
  • •If the story seems made up or unreliable, it won’t be allowed in court.

Example

Your grandma tells your mom about when your great-grandparents got married, but your grandma passed away before the court case.

Your mom can repeat grandma’s story in court about the marriage because grandma was family and knew the details well. But if grandma’s story sounded like a tall tale, the court won’t let your mom share it.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 1311 Family History Hearsay Exception

(a) Subject to subdivision (b), evidence of a statement concerning the birth, marriage, divorce, death, parent and child relationship, race, ancestry, relationship by blood or marriage, or other similar fact of the family history of a person other than the declarant is not made inadmissible by the hearsay rule if the declarant is unavailable as a witness and: (1) The declarant was related to the other by blood or marriage; or (2) The declarant was otherwise so intimately associated with the other’s family as to be likely to have had accurate information concerning the matter declared and made the statement (i) upon information received from the other or from a person related by blood or marriage to the other or (ii) upon repute in the other’s family. (b) Evidence of a statement is inadmissible under this section if the statement was made under circumstances such as to indicate its lack of trustworthiness. (Amended by Stats. 1975, Ch. 1244.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

hearsay rulefamily historydeclaranttrustworthiness

Related Statutes

  • § 1310 Family History Statements
  • § 1312 Family History Evidence Admissibility
  • § 1313 Family Reputation Evidence
  • § 1220 Admissions Against Party
  • § 1223 Conspiracy Statement Admissibility

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Evidence Code. Section 1311.
View Official Source