Section 11489.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11489.
in effectNotwithstanding Section 11502 and except as otherwise provided in Section 11473, in all cases where the property is seized pursuant to this chapter and forfeited to the state or local governmental entity and, where necessary, sold by the Department of General Services or local governmental entity, the money forfeited or the proceeds of sale shall be distributed by the state or local governmental entity as follows:
(a)
To the bona fide or innocent purchaser, conditional sales vendor, or mortgagee of the property, if any, up to the amount of their
interest in the property, when the court declaring the forfeiture orders a distribution to that person.
(b)
The balance, if any, to accumulate, and to be distributed and transferred quarterly in the following manner:
(1)
To the state agency or local governmental entity for all expenditures made or incurred by it in connection with the sale of the property, including expenditures for any necessary costs of notice required by Section 11488.4, and for any necessary repairs, storage, or transportation of any property seized under this chapter.
(2)
The remaining funds shall be distributed as follows:
(A)
Sixty-five percent to the state, local, or state and local law enforcement entities that participated in the seizure distributed so as to
reflect the proportionate contribution of each agency.
(i)
Fifteen percent of the funds distributed pursuant to this subparagraph shall be deposited in a special fund maintained by the county, city, or city and county of any agency making the seizure or seeking an order for forfeiture. This fund shall be used for the sole purpose of funding programs designed to combat drug abuse and divert gang activity, and shall wherever possible involve educators, parents, community-based organizations and local businesses, and uniformed law enforcement officers. Those programs that have been evaluated as successful shall be given priority. These funds shall not be used to supplant any state or local funds that would, in the absence of this clause, otherwise be made available to the programs.
It is the intent of the Legislature to cause the development and continuation of positive intervention programs for high-risk
elementary and secondary schoolage students. Local law enforcement should work in partnership with state and local agencies and the private sector in administering these programs.
(ii)
The actual distribution of funds set aside pursuant to clause (i) is to be determined by a panel consisting of the sheriff of the county, a police chief selected by the other chiefs in the county, and the district attorney and the chief probation officer of the county.
(B)
Ten percent to the prosecutorial agency that processes the forfeiture action.
(C)
Twenty-four percent to the General Fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government
Code, the moneys are hereby continuously appropriated to the General Fund. Commencing January 1, 1995, all moneys deposited in the General Fund pursuant to this subparagraph, in an amount not to exceed ten million dollars ($10,000,000), shall be made available for school safety and security, upon appropriation by the Legislature, and shall be disbursed pursuant to Senate Bill 1255 of the 1993–94 Regular Session, as enacted.
(D)
One percent to the Environmental
Enforcement and Training Account, established in Section 14303 of the Penal Code.
(c)
Notwithstanding Item 0820-101-469 of the Budget Act of 1985 (Chapter 111 of the Statutes of 1985), all funds allocated to the Department of Justice pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) shall be deposited into the Department of Justice Special Deposit Fund–State Asset Forfeiture Account and used for the law enforcement efforts of the state or for state or local law enforcement efforts pursuant to Section 11493.
All funds allocated to the Department of Justice by the federal government under its Federal Asset Forfeiture program authorized by the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 may be deposited directly into the Narcotics Assistance and Relinquishment by
Criminal Offender Fund and used for state and local law enforcement efforts pursuant to Section 11493.
Funds that are not deposited pursuant to the above paragraph shall be deposited into the Department of Justice Special Deposit Fund–Federal Asset Forfeiture Account.
(d)
All the funds distributed to the state or local governmental entity pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) shall not supplant any state or local funds that would, in the absence of this subdivision, be made available to support the law enforcement and prosecutorial efforts of these agencies.
The court shall order the forfeiture proceeds distributed to the state,
local, or state and local governmental entities as provided in this section.
For the purposes of this section, “local governmental entity” means any city, county, or city and county in this state.
(e)
This section shall become operative on January 1, 1994.
References
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 13340.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 14303.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11502.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11473.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11488.4.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11493.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026