ARTICLE 5. Probation Officers [270. - 286.]

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC 5.
in effect

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 270. Section 270.

The chief probation officer shall be appointed and compensation for the position shall be determined as provided in Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 27770) of Part 3 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 271. Section 271.

In counties having charters that provide a method of appointment and tenure of office for the superintendent, matron, and other employees of the juvenile hall, the charter provisions shall control as to those matters and, in counties that have established or hereafter establish merit or civil service systems governing the methods of appointment and the tenure of office for the superintendent, matrons, and other employees of the juvenile hall, the provisions of the merit or civil service systems shall control as to those matters. In all other counties, these matters shall be controlled exclusively by the provisions of this code.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 272. Section 272.

(a) (1) The board of supervisors may delegate to the county welfare department all or part of the duties of the probation officer concerning dependent children described in Section 300. (2) The State Department of Social Services may delegate child welfare service or AFDC-FC foster care payment duties, or both, concerning dependent children described in Section 300 to any Indian tribe that has entered into an agreement pursuant to Section 10553.1. (b) The board of supervisors may also delegate to those persons within the county welfare department and to any Indian tribe that has entered into an agreement pursuant to Section 10553.1 performing child welfare services the probation officer’s right of access to state summary criminal history information pursuant to Section 11105 of the Penal Code as is necessary to carry out its duties concerning children reasonably believed to be described by Section 300. The information shall include any current incarceration, the location of any current probation or parole, any current requirement that the individual register pursuant to Section 290 or 457.1 of the Penal Code, or pursuant to Section 11140 or 11590 of the Health and Safety Code, and any history of offenses involving abuse or neglect of, or violence against, a child, or convictions of any offenses involving violence, sexual offenses, the abuse or illegal possession, manufacture, or sale of alcohol or controlled substances, and any arrest for which the person is released on bail or on his or her own recognizance. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a social worker in a county welfare department or an Indian tribe that has entered into an agreement pursuant to Section 10553.1 may perform the duties specified by Section 306.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 273. Section 273.

The probation officer may, within budgetary limitations established by the board of supervisors, employ such psychiatrists, psychologists, and other clinical experts as are required to assist in determining appropriate treatment of minors within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and in the implementation of such treatment.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 274. Section 274.

Each probation officer and each assistant and deputy probation officer receiving an official salary shall furnish a bond in the sum of not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000) and approved by the judge of the juvenile court, conditioned for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office. If such bonds, or any of them, are furnished by a surety company licensed to transact business in the state, the premium thereon shall be paid out of the county treasury. In the event the probation officer, assistants and deputies are included as covered employees in a master bond pursuant to Sections 1481 and 1481.1 of the Government Code, the individual bonds prescribed above shall not be required.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 275. Section 275.

(a) For the purpose of handling the reimbursement and other payments provided for in this chapter, the probation officer or other county officer designated by the board of supervisors of the county shall keep suitable books and accounts and shall give and keep suitable receipts and vouchers. (b) The auditor of the county shall audit these books and accounts annually, or at least biennially if so ordered by the board of supervisors upon the recommendation of the county auditor, on a fiscal year basis ending June 30 and shall make a report thereon to the judge of the court and to the supervisors of the county prior to the 31st day of the next succeeding month of January. This subdivision shall become inoperative on July 1, 1993, and shall remain inoperative until July 1, 1994, on which date this section shall become operative.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 276. Section 276.

In addition to the powers and duties of the probation officer elsewhere prescribed in this chapter, the probation officer is authorized to receive money, give his or her receipt therefor, deposit or invest such money as soon as practicable in the county treasury, in a commercial bank account designated and approved for such a purpose by the board of supervisors, or in investment certificates or share accounts issued by a savings and loan association doing business in this state, insured by the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation and designated and approved for such purpose by the board of supervisors, and direct the disbursement thereof, in any of the following instances: (a) Money payable to spouse or child in an action for divorce, separate maintenance, or similar action, together with court costs, upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Instead of designating the probation officer to act as court trustee for the receipt and disbursement of money payable to a spouse or child under this subdivision, the court may designate in its order a bonded employee of the court to act as court trustee for that purpose. (b) Money payable to or on behalf of a ward or dependent child of the juvenile court or a person concerning whom a petition has been filed in the juvenile court. The probation officer may petition the court for approval of any past or prospective disbursement. (c) Money payable to, by, or on behalf of probationers under the supervision of the probation officer. The probation officer may petition the court for approval of any past or prospective disbursement. (d) Money payable to a child, wife, or indigent parent when it has been alleged or claimed that there has been a violation of either Section 270, 270a, or 270c of the Penal Code and the matter has been referred to the probation officer by the district attorney. (e) Gifts of money made to the county to assist in the prevention or correction of delinquency or crime when the donor requests the probation officer to disburse such funds for such purposes and the board of supervisors accepts the gift upon such conditions. (f) Other similar cases. In addition to the foregoing, the probation officer is authorized to receive money payable to the county when ordered to do so by a court of competent jurisdiction. Such money shall be deposited or invested in the same manner as the other items set forth in this section. If a bank account or savings and loan association investment certificate or share account is authorized pursuant to this section, the probation officer shall pay into the county treasury all money collected by him or under his or her control during the preceding month that is payable into the treasury in conformity with Section 24353 of the Government Code.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 277. Section 277.

The probation officer may authorize the sale of articles of handiwork made by wards under the jurisdiction of the probation officer to the public at probation institutions, in public buildings, at fairs, or on property operated by nonprofit associations. The cost of any county materials or other property consumed in the manufacture of articles shall be paid for out of funds received from the sale of the articles. The remainder of any funds received from the sale of the articles shall be placed in the ward’s trust account pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 276.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 278. Section 278.

The board of supervisors may delegate to the auditor or other county officer any of the functions of the probation officer authorized by Section 276 and required by Sections 1685 to 1687, inclusive, of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 279. Section 279.

The board of supervisors may impose a service charge at a uniform rate sufficient to defray the cost of services of the probation officer or other officer designated to act as trustee, not exceeding 2 percent of the amount collected, in addition to the payments made under subdivision (a), (c), (d), or (f) of Section 276. However, a service charge may not be imposed for services relating to child support. The service charge imposed in relation to payments under subdivision (c) of Section 276 shall be imposed only for payments made by probationers, and the service charge imposed in relation to payments made under subdivision (f) of Section 276 shall be imposed only for cases similar to those listed in subdivision (a), (c), or (d) of that section. When the payments are ordered by the court, the payment of the service charge shall be included in the order. All proceeds shall be deposited in the general fund of the county.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 280. Section 280.

Except where waived by the probation officer, judge, or referee and the minor, the probation officer shall be present in court to represent the interests of each person who is the subject of a petition to declare that person to be a ward or dependent child upon all hearings or rehearings of his or her case, and shall furnish to the court such information and assistance as the court may require. If so ordered, the probation officer shall take charge of that person before and after any hearing or rehearing. It shall be the duty of the probation officer to prepare for every hearing on the disposition of a case as provided by Section 356, 358, 358.1, 361.5, 364, 366, 366.2, or 366.21 as is appropriate for the specific hearing, or, for a hearing as provided by Section 702, a social study of the minor, containing such matters as may be relevant to a proper disposition of the case. The social study shall include a recommendation for the disposition of the case.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 281. Section 281.

The probation officer shall upon order of any court in any matter involving the custody, status, or welfare of a minor or minors, make an investigation of appropriate facts and circumstances and prepare and file with the court written reports and written recommendations in reference to such matters. The court is authorized to receive and consider the reports and recommendations of the probation officer in determining any such matter.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 281.5. Section 281.5.

If a probation officer determines to recommend to the court that a minor alleged to come within Section 300, 601, or 602, or adjudged to come within Section 300, 601, or 602 should be removed from the physical custody of his parent or guardian, the probation officer shall give primary consideration to recommending to the court that the minor be placed with a relative of the minor, if such placement is in the best interests of the minor and will be conducive to reunification of the family.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 282. Section 282.

At any time the judge of the juvenile court may, and upon the request of the county board of supervisors shall, require the probation officer to examine into and report to the court upon the qualifications and management of any society, association, or corporation, other than a state institution, which applies for or receives custody of any ward or dependent child of the juvenile court. No probation officer, however, shall, under authority of this section, enter any institution without its consent. If such consent is refused, commitments to that institution shall not be made.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 283. Section 283.

Every probation officer, assistant probation officer, and deputy probation officer shall have the powers and authority conferred by law upon peace officers listed in Section 830.5 of the Penal Code.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 285. Section 285.

All probation officers shall make periodic reports to the Attorney General at those times and in the manner prescribed by the Attorney General, provided that no names or social security numbers shall be transmitted regarding any proceeding under Section 300 or 601.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 286. Section 286.

Any person lawfully appointed to serve as a probation officer or assistant or deputy probation officer prior to the effective date of this section shall continue in his office or employment as if appointed in the manner prescribed by this article.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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