Penal Code 602 (Criminal Trespass)

Penal Code section 602 is a long, itemized statute defining numerous forms of criminal trespass, from entering land with intent to interfere with a lawful business, to refusing to leave after being asked, to occupying property without the owner's consent. Most subdivisions are misdemeanors, though a few carry infraction or felony treatment depending on circumstances. It is the backbone statute that property owners and their agents rely on when they want someone removed from private land.

On a Sacramento apartment complex, retail center, or industrial yard, PC 602 is the statute most often cited in trespass warnings, no-trespass letters, and incident reports when a non-resident, former tenant, or banned customer refuses to leave. Security officers frequently reference the specific subdivision that fits the facts — for example, remaining after being told to leave versus entering a closed construction site.

A private security officer does not enforce PC 602 by making an arrest as a matter of routine; officers typically ask a person to leave, document the refusal, and if a private-person arrest is attempted it must satisfy the separate requirements of PC 837. Security personnel should never physically eject someone based solely on a hunch that trespass has occurred without reasonable grounds tied to the statute's actual elements.

PC 602's subdivisions are amended periodically and courts interpret 'refuses or fails to leave' language narrowly in some contexts. This entry is a general orientation, not legal advice — verify the current statutory text and consult counsel before drafting policies or training materials around it.