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.

HomeCorporations CodeCh. 18§ 12674 Corporate Books Falsification

§ 12674 Corporate Books Falsification

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

§ 12674 Corporate Books Falsification

This law says that if someone in charge of a company takes company stuff or messes with company records to trick people, they can go to jail or pay a fine.

Key Takeaways

  • •If you're in charge of a company, don't take company things without paying for them.
  • •Don't mess with or hide company records to trick people.
  • •If you break this law, you could go to jail for up to a year or pay a fine up to $1,000.

Example

A manager at a toy company takes some toys for their kids without paying and doesn't write it down in the company's books.

The manager could get in trouble because they took company stuff and didn't record it properly to hide what they did.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 12674 Corporate Books Falsification

(a) Every director, officer or agent of any corporation, who knowingly receives or acquires possession of any property of the corporation, otherwise than in payment of a just demand, and, with intent to defraud, omits to make, or to cause or direct to be made, a full and true entry thereof in the books or accounts of the corporation is guilty of a crime. (b) Every director, officer, agent or member of any corporation who, with intent to defraud, destroys, alters, mutilates or falsifies any of the books, papers, writings, or securities belonging to the corporation or makes or concurs in omitting to make any material entry in any book of accounts or other record or document kept by the corporation is guilty of a crime. (c) Each crime specified in this section is punishable by imprisonment in state prison, or by imprisonment in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both such fine and imprisonment. (Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1625, Sec. 3. Operative January 1, 1984.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

directorofficeragentintent to defraudbooks or accountsmaterial entryimprisonmentfine

Related Statutes

  • § 6813 Corporate Fraudulent Record Tampering
  • § 8814 Corporate Fraud By Officers
  • § 6814 Corporate Fraud Punishment
  • § 8815 Corporate Fraud Punishment
  • § 12671 Fraudulent Membership Certificate Issuance

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Corporations Code. Section 12674.
View Official Source