§ 405 Riot Participation Penalties

Penal Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law says that joining a riot is illegal and can get you fined or put in jail. If you help take someone from police custody during a riot, you can go to prison for years.

Key Takeaways

•Joining a riot can get you fined up to $1,000 or jailed for a year.
•If you help take someone from police during a riot, you can go to prison for 2 to 4 years.
•Even if you don’t start the riot, joining in is still against the law.

Example

A group of people starts breaking windows and fighting in the street during a protest.

If you join in and start breaking things too, you could be arrested and fined up to $1,000 or go to jail for a year.

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

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 405 Riot Participation Penalties

Every person who participates in any riot is punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Amended by Stats. 1957, Ch. 139.) 405a. A person who participates in the taking by means of a riot of another person from the lawful custody of a peace officer is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four years. (Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 47, Sec. 1. (SB 629) Effective January 1, 2016.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

riot fine imprisonment felony lawful custody

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Penal Code. Section 405.

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Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

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