§ 1368 Perjury During Oath

Government Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

Key Takeaways

•If you lie under oath (like in court or on a legal document), it's a crime called perjury.
•You can go to jail for 2, 3, or 4 years if you do this.
•The lie has to be about something important, not a little mistake.

Example

You're in court and swear to tell the truth, but then lie about seeing someone steal a bike.

If you know you didn't see it but say you did, that's perjury. You could go to jail for it.

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

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 1368 Perjury During Oath

Every person who, while taking and subscribing to the oath or affirmation required by this chapter, states as true any material matter which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of perjury, and is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for two, three, or four years. (Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 124. (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 22, 2026

Key Terms

perjury oath or affirmation material matter imprisonment

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Government Code. Section 1368.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References