BlackletterCalifornia law

Penal Code § 7461

CHAPTER 18. Clearances

Current as of September 28, 2026Pen. Code, § 7461Official source ↗

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 226, Sec. 3. (SB 553) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a) The department shall provide forms to the institution for short-term gate clearances. The institution shall only use the forms provided by the department to process the short-term gate clearance. The forms should reflect the limited nature of this clearance and shall not be overly burdensome. An institution shall not require additional institution-specific “local” forms.

(b) The department shall not require a fingerprint-based background check from an applicant applying for a short-term gate clearance.

(c) The department shall not limit the number of short-term gate clearances an applicant can receive.

(d) The department shall notify all short-term gate clearance applicants of the decision to approve or disapprove the application consistent with the timeframes identified in the department’s criminal history security screening form.