Chapter 2 - Burglary

California Penal Code — §§ 458-465

Sections (11)

Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 854, Sec. 1.

As used in this chapter, the term “cargo container” means a receptacle with all of the following characteristics:

(a)Of a permanent character and accordingly strong enough to be suitable for repeated use.
(b)Specially designed to facilitate the carriage of goods, by one or more modes of transport, one of which shall be by vessels, without intermediate reloading.
(c)Fitted with devices permitting its ready handling, particularly its transfer from one mode of transport to another.
(d)So designed to be easy to fill and empty.
(e)Having a cubic displacement of 1,000 cubic feet or more.

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 533, Sec. 1. (AB 468) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)Every person who enters any house, room, apartment, tenement, shop, warehouse, store, mill, barn, stable, outhouse or other building, tent, vessel, as defined in Section 21 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, floating home, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 18075.55 of the Health and Safety Code, railroad car, locked or sealed cargo container, whether or not mounted on a vehicle, trailer coach, as defined in Section 635 of the Vehicle Code, any house car, as defined in Section 362 of the Vehicle Code, inhabited camper, as defined in Section 243 of the Vehicle Code, vehicle as defined by the Vehicle Code, when the doors are locked, aircraft as defined by Section 21012 of the Public Utilities Code, or mine or any underground portion thereof,

with intent to commit grand or petit larceny or any felony is guilty of burglary. As used in this chapter, “inhabited” means currently being used for dwelling purposes, whether occupied or not. A house, trailer, vessel designed for habitation, or portion of a building is currently being used for dwelling purposes if, at the time of the burglary, it was not occupied solely because a natural or other disaster caused the occupants to leave the premises.

(b)The fact that the structure entered has been damaged by a natural or other disaster, or the extent of that damage, does not preclude conviction.
(a)Notwithstanding Section 459, shoplifting is defined as entering a commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny while that establishment is open during regular business hours, where the value of the property that is taken or intended to be taken does not exceed nine hundred fifty dollars ($950). Any other entry into a commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny is burglary. Shoplifting shall be punished as a misdemeanor, except that a person with one or more prior convictions for an offense specified in clause (iv) of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 667 or for an offense requiring registration pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 290 may be punished pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(b)Any act of shoplifting as defined in subdivision (a) shall be charged as shoplifting. No person who is charged with shoplifting may also be charged with burglary or theft of the same property.

Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 942, Sec. 15.

(a)Every burglary of an inhabited dwelling house, vessel, as defined in the Harbors and Navigation Code, which is inhabited and designed for habitation, floating home, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 18075.55 of the Health and Safety Code, or trailer coach, as defined by the Vehicle Code, or the inhabited portion of any other building, is burglary of the first degree.
(b)All other kinds of burglary are of the second degree.
(c)This section shall not be construed to supersede or affect Section 464 of the Penal Code.

Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 355. (AB 109) Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.

Burglary is punishable as follows:

(a)Burglary in the first degree: by imprisonment in the state prison for two, four, or six years.
(b)Burglary in the second degree: by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year or imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.

Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 162, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1994.

(a)Except in unusual cases where the interests of justice would best be served if the person is granted probation, probation shall not be granted to any person who is convicted of a burglary of an inhabited dwelling house or trailer coach as defined in Section 635 of the Vehicle Code, an inhabited floating home as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 18075.55 of the Health and Safety Code, or the inhabited portion of any other building.
(b)If the court grants probation under subdivision (a), it shall specify the reason or reasons for that order on the court record.

Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1132, Sec. 1.

(a)Except in unusual cases where the interests of justice would best be served if the person is granted probation, probation shall not be granted to any person who is convicted of a felony custodial institution burglary. In any case in which a person is convicted of a misdemeanor custodial institution burglary, such person shall be confined in the county jail for not less than 90 days nor more than one year except in unusual cases where the interests of justice would best be served by the granting of probation.
(b)As used in this section, “custodial institution burglary” shall mean a violation of Section 459 on the grounds of any jail or correctional institution with the intent to steal items to use or convert for use as weapons, escape tools, or intoxicating drugs.
(c)If the court grants probation under subdivision (a), it shall specify the reason or reasons for such order on the court record.
(d)Any person convicted of custodial institution burglary shall serve his or her sentence, including enhancements, consecutive to any other sentence in effect or pending. The felony sentence shall be calculated under Section 1170.1.

Repealed and added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 533, Sec. 3. (AB 468) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1)“Evacuation order” means an order from the Governor, or a county sheriff, chief of police, or fire marshal, under which persons subject to the order are required to relocate outside of the geographic area covered by the order due to an imminent danger resulting from an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or manmade disaster.
(2)“Evacuation zone” means

any of the following:

(A)An evacuation area or an area subject to an evacuation warning, as defined in Section 2470.1 of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B)One or more residential dwelling units in an area identified in subparagraph (A) that is damaged or destroyed by an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or manmade disaster,

for one year after the date an evacuation order or warning went into effect, regardless of whether the evacuation order or warning has been lifted, but does not include detached structures on the same property that are not dwelling units or are not otherwise usable for human habitation.

(C)One or more residential dwelling units

in an area identified in subparagraph (A) that is damaged or destroyed by an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or manmade disaster, and is currently undergoing reconstruction, for up to three years after the date an evacuation order or warning went into effect, regardless of whether the evacuation order or warning has been lifted, but does not include detached structures on the same property that are not dwelling units or are not otherwise usable for human habitation.

(3)“Local emergency” means conditions that, by reason of their magnitude, are, or are likely to be, beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat. A “local emergency” shall exist from the time of the proclamation of the condition of the emergency by the local governing body until terminated pursuant to Section 8630 of the Government Code.
(4)“Reconstruction” includes, but is not limited to, the time from initial debris removal through the issuance of the certificate of occupancy.
(5)“State of emergency” means conditions that, by reason of their magnitude, are, or are likely to be, beyond

the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat. A “state of emergency” shall exist from the time of the proclamation of the condition of the emergency until terminated pursuant to Section 8629 of the Government Code.

(b)All of the following offenses when committed during and within an affected county in a “state of emergency” or a “local emergency,” or under an “evacuation order,” resulting from an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or manmade disaster are looting and, except as provided in subdivision (c), are punishable as follows:
(1)A violation of Section 459, punishable as a second-degree burglary

pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 461, is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.

(2)A violation of Section 487 or subdivision (a) of Section 487a, except grand theft of a firearm, is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(3)Grand theft of a firearm, as defined in Section 487, is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, as set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 489.
(4)A violation of Section 488 is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for six months.
(c)All of the following offenses when committed during

and within an evacuation zone are looting and, notwithstanding subdivision (b), are punishable as follows:

(1)A violation of Section 459, punishable as a first-degree burglary pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 461, is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for a term of two, four, or seven years.
(2)A violation of Section 459, punishable as a second-degree burglary pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 461, is punishable pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(3)A violation of Section 487 or subdivision (a) of Section 487a, except grand theft of a firearm, is punishable pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(4)A

violation of Section 602, with the intent to commit larceny, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.

(5)Notwithstanding Section 490.2, theft from an unlocked vehicle is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170. This paragraph shall not preclude prosecution under any other provision of law.
(d)(1) A person convicted of an offense described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subdivision (b) or an offense described in subdivision (c) who is granted probation shall, as a condition of probation, be confined in a county jail for at least 180 days, except that the court may, in a case where the interest of justice would best be served, reduce or

eliminate that mandatory jail sentence if the court specifies on the record and enters into the minutes the circumstances indicating that the interest of justice would best be served by that disposition.

(2)In addition to whatever custody is ordered, the court may require any person granted probation following conviction under paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) to serve up to 240 hours of community service and may require any person granted probation following conviction of an offense described in paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (b) or an offense described in subdivision (c) to serve up to 160 hours of community service.
(3)A person convicted under paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) who is granted probation shall, as a condition of probation, be confined in a county jail for at

least 90 days, except that the court may, in a case where the interest of justice would best be served, reduce or eliminate that mandatory minimum jail sentence if the court specifies on the record and enters into the minutes the circumstances indicating that the interest of justice would best be served by that disposition. In addition to whatever custody is ordered, the court may require any person granted probation following conviction under this subdivision to serve up to 80 hours of community service.

(e)Consensual entry into a commercial structure with the intent to commit a violation of Section 470, 476, 476a, 484f, or 484g shall not be charged as a violation under this section.
(f)For purposes of this section, the fact that the structure entered has

been damaged by the earthquake, fire, flood, or other natural or manmade disaster shall not, in and of itself, preclude conviction.

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 545, Sec. 2. (SB 571) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)In sentencing a person convicted of a violation of Section 463, the court may consider the fact, if pled and proven, that the defendant committed the crime while impersonating emergency personnel as a factor in aggravation in sentencing.
(b)For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1)“Emergency personnel” means a peace officer, an officer or member of a fire department or a deputy state fire marshal, an employee of a public utility or district, state, county, city, or special district, a city and county officer or employee, an officer or member of a

governmental agency-managed or -affiliated search and rescue unit or team, an officer or member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the California National Guard, the State Guard, the Naval Militia, the national guard of any other state, or any other reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, or an emergency medical technician, as defined in Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety Code.

(2)“Impersonating” means willfully wearing, exhibiting, or using of an authorized uniform, insignia, emblem, device, label, certificate, card, or writing of emergency personnel with the intent of fraudulently inducing the belief that they are emergency personnel.

Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 357. (AB 109) Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.

Any person who, with intent to commit crime, enters, either by day or by night, any building, whether inhabited or not, and opens or attempts to open any vault, safe, or other secure place by use of acetylene torch or electric arc, burning bar, thermal lance, oxygen lance, or any other similar device capable of burning through steel, concrete, or any other solid substance, or by use of nitroglycerine, dynamite, gunpowder, or any other explosive, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for a term of three, five, or seven years.

Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 170, Sec. 1. (SB 905) Effective January 1, 2025.

(a)A person who forcibly enters a vehicle, as defined in Section 670 of the Vehicle Code, with the intent to commit a theft or any felony therein is guilty of unlawful entry of a vehicle.
(b)Unlawful entry of a vehicle is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed one year or imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(c)As used in this section, forcible entry of a vehicle means the entry of a vehicle accomplished through any of the following means: the use of a tool or device that manipulates the locking mechanism, including, without limitation, a slim jim or other lockout tool, a shaved key, jiggler key, or lock pick, or an electronic

device such as a signal extender, or force that damages the exterior of the vehicle, including, but not limited to, breaking a window, cutting a convertible top, punching a lock, or prying open a door.

(d)A person may not be convicted both pursuant to this section and pursuant to Section 459.