Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

California Code, Penal Code - PEN § 636.6

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a)(1) A person who manufactures, imports, markets, purchases, sells, or operates a signal jammer, unless authorized to do so by the Federal Communications Commission, is guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for a first offense.

(2) A second or subsequent violation of paragraph (1) is a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding year, by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(b) A person who operates a signal jammer in conjunction with the commission of a misdemeanor or felony is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(c) A person who willfully or maliciously uses a signal jammer to block state or local public safety communications, and who knows or should know that using the signal jammer is likely to result in death or great bodily injury and great bodily injury or death is sustained by any person as a result of that use, is guilty of a crime, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.

(d) A conviction under this section requires forfeiture of the signal jamming device.

(e) This section does not apply to the authorized and lawful use of signal jammers by local or state law enforcement.

(f) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Signal jammer” means a device that intentionally blocks, jams, or interferes with authorized radio or wireless communications.

(2) “Public safety communications” means the systems, technologies, and methods used by emergency response agencies, including law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS, to communicate with each other.

Previous Part of Code Next Part of Code
Back to Chapter List

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - California Code, Penal Code - PEN § 636.6 - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/penal-code/pen-sect-636-6/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About The Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to Find an Attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

Copied to clipboard