Cal. PEN § 1210
This is the official text of Cal. PEN § 1210, part of California’s Penal Code — defines crimes and sets criminal procedure in California.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Official statutory text
As used in Sections 1210.1 and 3063.1 of this code, and Division 10.8 (commencing with Section 11999.4) of the Health and Safety Code, the following definitions apply:
(a) The term “nonviolent drug possession offense” means the unlawful personal use, possession for personal use, or transportation for personal use of any controlled substance identified in Section 11054, 11055, 11056, 11057, or 11058 of the Health and Safety Code, or the offense of being under the influence of a controlled substance in violation of Section 11550 of the Health and Safety Code. The term “nonviolent drug possession offense” does not include the possession for sale, production, or manufacturing of any controlled substance and does not include violations of Section 4573.6 or 4573.8.
(b) The term “drug treatment program” or “drug treatment” means a state licensed or certified community drug treatment program, which may include one or more of the following: drug education, outpatient services, narcotic replacement therapy, residential treatment, detoxification services, and aftercare services. The term “drug treatment program” or “drug treatment” includes a drug treatment program operated under the direction of the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs or a program specified in Section 8001. That type of program shall be eligible to provide drug treatment services without regard to the licensing or certification provisions required by this subdivision. The term “drug treatment program” or “drug treatment” does not include drug treatment programs offered in a prison or jail facility.
(c) The term “successful completion of treatment” means that a defendant who has had drug treatment imposed as a condition of probation has completed the prescribed course of drug treatment as recommended by the treatment provider and ordered by the court. Completion of treatment shall not require cessation of narcotic replacement therapy.
(d) The term “misdemeanor not related to the use of drugs” means a misdemeanor that does not involve (1) the simple possession or use of drugs or drug paraphernalia, being present where drugs are used, or failure to register as a drug offender, or (2) any activity similar to those listed in (1).
(a) The term “nonviolent drug possession offense” means the unlawful personal use, possession for personal use, or transportation for personal use of any controlled substance identified in Section 11054, 11055, 11056, 11057, or 11058 of the Health and Safety Code, or the offense of being under the influence of a controlled substance in violation of Section 11550 of the Health and Safety Code. The term “nonviolent drug possession offense” does not include the possession for sale, production, or manufacturing of any controlled substance and does not include violations of Section 4573.6 or 4573.8.
(b) The term “drug treatment program” or “drug treatment” means a state licensed or certified community drug treatment program, which may include one or more of the following: drug education, outpatient services, narcotic replacement therapy, residential treatment, detoxification services, and aftercare services. The term “drug treatment program” or “drug treatment” includes a drug treatment program operated under the direction of the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs or a program specified in Section 8001. That type of program shall be eligible to provide drug treatment services without regard to the licensing or certification provisions required by this subdivision. The term “drug treatment program” or “drug treatment” does not include drug treatment programs offered in a prison or jail facility.
(c) The term “successful completion of treatment” means that a defendant who has had drug treatment imposed as a condition of probation has completed the prescribed course of drug treatment as recommended by the treatment provider and ordered by the court. Completion of treatment shall not require cessation of narcotic replacement therapy.
(d) The term “misdemeanor not related to the use of drugs” means a misdemeanor that does not involve (1) the simple possession or use of drugs or drug paraphernalia, being present where drugs are used, or failure to register as a drug offender, or (2) any activity similar to those listed in (1).
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Dealing with a criminal defense matter in California?
See all California Criminal Defense lawyers
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.