§ 6600 Minor Civil Liability Wrongdoing

Family Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law says kids can be held responsible for bad things they do, but they usually can't be punished with extra money for being really bad unless they knew what they did was wrong.

Key Takeaways

•Kids can be responsible for their actions.
•They usually don't have to pay extra money to punish them.
•They might have to pay extra money if they knew what they did was wrong.

Example

A 12-year-old breaks a neighbor's window while playing baseball.

The kid might have to pay for the window, but they won't have to pay extra money just to punish them unless they knew breaking the window was wrong.

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

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 6600 Minor Civil Liability Wrongdoing

A minor is civilly liable for a wrong done by the minor, but is not liable in exemplary damages unless at the time of the act the minor was capable of knowing that the act was wrongful. (Enacted by Stats. 1992, Ch. 162, Sec. 10. Operative January 1, 1994.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

minor civilly liable exemplary damages wrongful

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Family Code. Section 6600.

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Related Statutes

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Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References