CALIFORNIA CODES
PENAL CODE
SECTION 530.5
Receiving Property in Assumed Character


530.5. (a) Every person who willfully obtains personal identifying
information, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of
another person, and uses that information for any unlawful purpose,
including to obtain, or attempt to obtain, credit, goods, services,
real property, or medical information without the consent of that
person, is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor,
shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to
exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment, or by
imprisonment in the state prison.
(b) In any case in which a person willfully obtains personal
identifying information of another person, uses that information to
commit a crime in addition to a violation of subdivision (a), and is
convicted of that crime, the court records shall reflect that the
person whose identity was falsely used to commit the crime did not
commit the crime.
(c) (1) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, acquires or
retains possession of the personal identifying information, as
defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of another person is
guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor, shall be
punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed
one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment.
(2) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, acquires or
retains possession of the personal identifying information, as
defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of another person, and
who has previously been convicted of a violation of this section,
upon conviction therefor shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment
in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both a fine and
imprisonment, or by imprisonment in the state prison.
(3) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, acquires or
retains possession of the personal identifying information, as
defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of 10 or more other
persons is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor,
shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to
exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment, or by
imprisonment in the state prison.
(d) (1) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, sells,
transfers, or conveys the personal identifying information, as
defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of another person is
guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor, shall be
punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed
one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment in
the state prison.
(2) Every person who, with actual knowledge that the personal
identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section
530.55, of a specific person will be used to commit a violation of
subdivision (a), sells, transfers, or conveys that same personal
identifying information is guilty of a public offense, and upon
conviction therefor, shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment in
the state prison, or by both a fine and imprisonment.
(e) Every person who commits mail theft, as defined in Section
1708 of Title 18 of the United States Code, is guilty of a public
offense, and upon conviction therefor shall be punished by a fine, by
imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both a
fine and imprisonment. Prosecution under this subdivision shall not
limit or preclude prosecution under any other provision of law,
including, but not limited to, subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, of
this section.
(f) An interactive computer service or access software provider,
as defined in subsection (f) of Section 230 of Title 47 of the United
States Code, shall not be liable under this section unless the
service or provider acquires, transfers, sells, conveys, or retains
possession of personal information with the intent to defraud.