The heading to this chapter shall not be deemed to govern or limit the scope or meaning of this chapter.
§ 182.Chapter heading not deemed to affect its provisions
Title 2. Judicial Officers · Chapter 5. Miscellaneous Provisions Respecting Courts of Justice · Enacted 1955 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 182 states that the descriptive heading given to this chapter does not govern or limit the scope or meaning of any of the chapter’s actual substantive provisions.
Full Text of § 182
Plain-English Summary
Section 182 heads off a specific interpretive argument before it can start: that a chapter’s descriptive title should be read as narrowing or controlling what the chapter covers. Headings exist for organization and convenience, not to substantively limit the text that follows, and this section says so directly.
This kind of rule matters most when a chapter’s substance grows or shifts over time — new sections get added that do not fit neatly under the original heading’s wording, and Section 182 makes clear that mismatch does not create a legal problem. The heading is a label, not a limitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a chapter’s title be used to argue that a provision inside it does not apply?
No. Section 182 states the chapter heading does not govern or limit the scope or meaning of the chapter’s provisions.
Why would a code include a section like this?
It forecloses arguments that a chapter’s descriptive heading should override or narrow the actual text of the provisions inside it.
Amendment History
Added Stats 1955 ch 59 § 4.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: ccp 182 chapter heading not bindingcalifornia statute heading interpretation rule