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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 12Pt. 2.7Ch. 4§ 13851 Petition Signature Verification

§ 13851 Petition Signature Verification

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 13851 Petition Signature Verification

Key Takeaways

  • •The secretary checks if a petition has enough valid signatures within 30 days.
  • •If the petition doesn’t have enough signatures, the people who started it get 15 days to add more.
  • •The secretary checks the new signatures within 10 days and tells the petition starters if it’s enough now.
  • •If the petition has enough signatures, the board must take the next steps.

Example

A group of neighbors wants to change a school rule and collects signatures on a petition.

The school secretary checks if they have enough signatures from registered voters. If not, the neighbors get 15 days to gather more. If they succeed, the school board must act on their request.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 13851 Petition Signature Verification

(a)  Within 30 days after the date of filing a petition, the secretary of the district board shall cause the petition to be examined and shall prepare a certificate of sufficiency indicating whether the petition is signed by the requisite number of signers. (b)  The secretary shall cause the names of the signers on the petition to be compared with the voters’ register in the office of the county clerk or registrar of voters and ascertain (i) the number of registered voters in the district, and (ii) the number of qualified signers appearing upon the petition. (c)  If the certificate of the secretary shows the petition to be insufficient, the secretary shall immediately give notice by certified mail of the insufficiency to the chief petitioners. That mailed notice shall state in what amount the petition is insufficient. Within 15 days after the date of the notice of insufficiency, the chief petitioners may file with the secretary a supplemental petition bearing additional signatures. (d)  Within 10 days after the date of filing a supplemental petition, the secretary shall examine the supplemental petition and certify in writing the results of his or her examination. (e)  The secretary shall sign and date a certificate of sufficiency. That certificate shall also state the minimum signature requirements for a sufficient petition and show the results of the secretary’s examination. The secretary shall mail a copy of the certificate of sufficiency to the chief petitioners. (f)  Once the chief petitioners have filed a sufficient petition, the district board shall take the actions required pursuant to Section 13845, 13846, or 13848. (Repealed and added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 1013, Sec. 11.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

petitionsecretaryexamination

Related Statutes

  • § 13849 Petition Notice Requirements
  • § 13850 Petition Filing Requirements
  • § 6595 Petition Signature Verification
  • § 106700 Environmental Health Specialist Fees
  • § 107010 Radiologic Technologist Certification Acceptance

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 13851.
View Official Source