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HomePenal CodeBribery Of Public OfficialsPt. 1§ 68 Bribery Of Public Officials

§ 68 Bribery Of Public Officials

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

§ 68 Bribery Of Public Officials

This law says government workers in California can't take bribes. If they do, they can go to jail and pay big fines.

Key Takeaways

  • •Government workers can't take bribes to do their job differently.
  • •If they take a bribe, they can go to jail for 2-4 years.
  • •They also have to pay a big fine, which depends on how much they took.
  • •They lose their job and can never work for the government again.

Example

A city council member takes $5,000 from a company to vote for their project.

The council member broke the law by taking money to influence their vote. They could go to jail for 2-4 years and pay a fine.

How to Calculate

Fine = max(actual bribe amount, $2,000) or up to min(2 × bribe amount, $10,000)

  1. Check if a bribe was actually received.
  2. If no bribe was received, the fine is between $2,000 and $10,000.
  3. If a bribe was received, the fine is at least the larger of the bribe amount or $2,000, but no more than double the bribe amount or $10,000, whichever is greater.

A government worker takes a $3,000 bribe.

Result: The fine would be between $3,000 and $6,000.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 68 Bribery Of Public Officials

PENAL CODE - PEN PART 1. OF CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS [25 - 680.4] ( Part 1 enacted 1872. ) TITLE 5. OF CRIMES BY AND AGAINST THE EXECUTIVE POWER OF THE STATE [67 - 77] ( Title 5 enacted 1872. ) 68. (a) Every executive or ministerial officer, employee, or appointee of the State of California, a county or city therein, or a political subdivision thereof, who asks, receives, or agrees to receive, any bribe, upon any agreement or understanding that his or her vote, opinion, or action upon any matter then pending, or that may be brought before him or her in his or her official capacity, shall be influenced thereby, is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years and, in cases in which no bribe has been actually received, by a restitution fine of not less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) or not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or, in cases in which a bribe was actually received, by a restitution fine of at least the actual amount of the bribe received or two thousand dollars ($2,000), whichever is greater, or any larger amount of not more than double the amount of any bribe received or ten thousand dollars ($10,000), whichever is greater, and, in addition thereto, forfeits his or her office, employment, or appointment, and is forever disqualified from holding any office, employment, or appointment, in this state. (b) In imposing a restitution fine pursuant to this section, the court shall consider the defendant’s ability to pay the fine. (Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 664, Sec. 169. Effective January 1, 2003.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

bribeexecutive or ministerial officerrestitution fineforfeits his or her officeforever disqualified

Related Statutes

  • § 86 Legislative Bribery Prohibition
  • § 88 Legislator Crime Office Forfeiture
  • § 93 Judicial Bribery Penalties
  • § 294 Child Abuse Restitution Fines
  • § 67 Bribing Executive Officers

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Penal Code. Section 68.
View Official Source