DIVISION 4. SPECIAL ANTITHEFT LAWS [10500. - 10904.]

Division 4 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3.

§§ 10500–10904 · 41 sections

1. CHAPTER 1. Reports of Stolen Vehicles §§ 10500–10505 · 6 sections

   • § 10500 (a) A peace officer, upon receiving a report based on reliable information that a vehicle registered under this code has been stolen, taken, or driven in…
   • § 10501 (a) It is unlawful for any person to make or file a false or fraudulent report of theft of a vehicle required to be registered under this code with any law…
   • § 10502 (a) The owner or legal owner of a vehicle registered under this code which has been stolen or embezzled may notify the Department of the California Highway…
   • § 10503 The Department of Justice upon receiving notice under this chapter that a vehicle has been stolen, or taken or driven in violation of Section 10851, or that a…
   • § 10504 The department upon receiving a report of a stolen vehicle, or of a vehicle taken or driven in violation of Section 10851, shall place an appropriate notice in…
   • § 10505 Upon the transfer of registration of a vehicle reported as stolen or embezzled, the department shall immediately notify the reporting agency of such fact.
2. CHAPTER 1.5. Reports of Stolen Vessels §§ 10550–10554 · 6 sections

   • § 10550 In this chapter, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning, the terms and definitions set forth in Section 9840 shall apply.
   • § 10551 Every peace officer upon receiving a report based on reliable information that any undocumented vessel numbered under this code has been stolen shall…
   • § 10551.5 The Department of Justice upon receiving notice under this chapter that a vessel has been stolen or that a vessel reported stolen has been recovered shall…
   • § 10552 It is unlawful for any person to make or file a false or fraudulent report of the theft of an undocumented vessel required to be numbered under this code with…
   • § 10553 The owner or legal owner of a vessel numbered under this code which has been stolen or embezzled may notify a law enforcement agency of the theft or…
   • § 10554 The department upon receiving a report of a stolen or embezzled vessel shall place an appropriate notice in the electronic file system which will identify such…
3. CHAPTER 2. Reports of Stored Vehicles §§ 10650–10658 · 8 sections

   • § 10650 (a) Every operator of a towing service and every keeper of a garage or trailer park shall keep a written record of every vehicle of a type subject to…
   • § 10652 Whenever any vehicle of a type subject to registration under this code has been stored in a garage, repair shop, parking lot, or trailer park for 30 days, the…
   • § 10652.5 (a) Whenever the name and address of the legal owner of a motor vehicle is known, or may be ascertained from the registration records in the vehicle or from…
   • § 10653 Whenever any vehicle of a type subject to registration under this code which shows evidence of having been struck by a bullet is stored in a garage or repair…
   • § 10654 Every person other than the keeper of a garage renting any private building used as a private garage or space therein for the storage of a vehicle of a type…
   • § 10655 No person required to keep a record or make a report under this chapter shall wilfully fail, refuse, or neglect to comply with this chapter.
   • § 10656 The director, deputy director, registrar, deputy registrar, investigators of the department, and members of a city police department or county sheriff’s office…
   • § 10658 (a) The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the storage of any recreational vehicle owned by a mobilehome park resident and stored in a mobilehome…
4. CHAPTER 3. Alteration or Removal of Numbers §§ 10750–10753 · 4 sections

   • § 10750 (a) No person shall intentionally deface, destroy, or alter the motor number, other distinguishing number, or identification mark of a vehicle required or…
   • § 10751 (a) No person shall knowingly buy, sell, offer for sale, receive, or have in his or her possession, any vehicle, or component part thereof, from which any…
   • § 10752 (a) No person shall, with intent to prejudice, damage, injure, or defraud, acquire, possess, sell, or offer for sale any genuine or counterfeit manufacturer’s…
   • § 10753 (a) Any person who removes, alters, or obfuscates any vehicle identification number or other unique marking that has been added to a catalytic converter is…
5. CHAPTER 3.5. Motor Vehicle Chop Shops §§ 10801–10804 · 4 sections

   • § 10801 Any person who knowingly and intentionally owns or operates a chop shop is guilty of a public offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment…
   • § 10802 Any person who knowingly alters, counterfeits, defaces, destroys, disguises, falsifies, forges, obliterates, or removes vehicle identification numbers, with…
   • § 10803 (a) Any person who buys with the intent to resell, disposes of, sells, or transfers, more than one motor vehicle or parts from more than one motor vehicle,…
   • § 10804 (a) Section 10803 does not apply to a motor vehicle scrap processor who, in the normal legal course of business and in good faith, processes a motor vehicle or…
6. CHAPTER 4. Theft and Injury of Vehicles §§ 10850–10856 · 9 sections

   • § 10850 The provisions of this chapter apply to vehicles upon the highways and elsewhere throughout the State.
   • § 10851 (a) Any person who drives or takes a vehicle not his or her own, without the consent of the owner thereof, and with intent either to permanently or temporarily…
   • § 10851.5 Any person who takes binder chains, required under regulations adopted pursuant to Section 31510, having a value of nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) or less…
   • § 10852 No person shall either individually or in association with one or more other persons, wilfully injure or tamper with any vehicle or the contents thereof or…
   • § 10852.5 (a) No person shall purchase a used catalytic converter, including for the purpose of dismantling, recycling, or smelting, except from any of the following:…
   • § 10853 No person shall with intent to commit any malicious mischief, injury, or other crime, climb into or upon a vehicle whether it is in motion or at rest, nor…
   • § 10854 Every person having the storage, care, safe-keeping, custody, or possession of any vehicle of a type subject to registration under this code who, without the…
   • § 10855 (a) If a person who has leased or rented a vehicle willfully and intentionally fails to return the vehicle to its owner within five days after the lease or…
   • § 10856 (a) A person shall not interfere with the transport of a vehicle to a storage facility, auction, or dealer by an individual who is employed by a repossession…
7. CHAPTER 5. Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention §§ 10900–10904 · 4 sections

   • § 10900 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act.”
   • § 10901 (a) Pursuant to Section 1872.8 of the Insurance Code, proceeds from the assessment imposed thereunder shall be used to fund prevention and increased…
   • § 10902 The Department of the California Highway Patrol shall establish a program entitled “CAL H.E.A.T.” (Help Eliminate Auto Theft) for the purpose of reducing the…
   • § 10904 The commissioner may develop a public education campaign to deter participation in auto insurance fraud and to encourage reporting of fraudulent claims.