LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomePenal CodeChild Abuse Restitution FinesPt. 1Ch. 5.5§ 294 Child Abuse Restitution Fines

§ 294 Child Abuse Restitution Fines

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

§ 294 Child Abuse Restitution Fines

This law says that if someone is convicted of certain crimes against children, they might have to pay extra money to help prevent child abuse. The amount depends on whether it's a serious crime (up to $5,000) or a less serious one (up to $1,000).

Key Takeaways

  • •This law adds extra money to help prevent child abuse.
  • •The fine depends on the crime type and what the person can afford.
  • •If the criminal is family, the court thinks about how the fine might hurt the victim.
  • •The county can take up to 2% of the fine to cover collection costs.

Example

A person is convicted of child abuse (a felony).

The court can make them pay up to $5,000 extra to help fund programs that stop child abuse.

How to Calculate

Fine amount = Up to $5,000 (felony) or $1,000 (misdemeanor), based on ability to pay

  1. Check if the crime is a felony or misdemeanor.
  2. Decide the maximum fine based on the crime type ($5,000 for felony, $1,000 for misdemeanor).
  3. Adjust the fine based on the person's ability to pay (they can't pay more than they can afford).

Someone is convicted of a felony crime against a child.

Result: The court orders a fine of $3,000.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 294 Child Abuse Restitution Fines

(a) Upon conviction of any person for a violation of Section 273a, 273d, 288.5, 311.2, 311.3, or 647.6, the court may, in addition to any other penalty or restitution fine imposed, order the defendant to pay a restitution fine based on the defendant’s ability to pay not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), upon a felony conviction, or one thousand dollars ($1,000), upon a misdemeanor conviction, to be deposited in the Restitution Fund to be transferred to the county children’s trust fund for the purposes of child abuse prevention. (b) Upon conviction of any person for a violation of Section 261, 264.1, 285, 286, 287, or 289 or former Section 288a, where the violation is with a minor under the age of 14 years, the court may, in addition to any other penalty or restitution fine imposed, order the defendant to pay a restitution fine based on the defendant’s ability to pay not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), upon a felony conviction, or one thousand dollars ($1,000), upon a misdemeanor conviction, to be deposited in the Restitution Fund to be transferred to the county children’s trust fund for the purpose of child abuse prevention. (c) If the perpetrator is a member of the immediate family of the victim, the court shall consider in its decision to impose a fine under this section any hardship that may impact the victim from the imposition of the fine. (d) If the court orders a fine to be imposed pursuant to this section, the actual administrative cost of collecting that fine, not to exceed 2 percent of the total amount paid, may be paid into the general fund of the county treasury for the use and benefit of the county. (Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 423, Sec. 61. (SB 1494) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

restitution finechild abuse preventionimmediate familyability to pay

Related Statutes

  • § 13847 Rural Indian Crime Prevention
  • § 13847.1 Native American Law Enforcement Training
  • § 13847.2 Rural Indian Crime Prevention Committee
  • § 290 Sex Offender Registration Requirements
  • § 290.001 Sexually Violent Predator Registration

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Penal Code. Section 294.
View Official Source