Before issuing an inspection warrant, the judge may examine on oath the applicant and any other witness, and shall satisfy himself of the existence of grounds for granting such application.
§ 1822.53.Examination of Applicant and Other Witnesses By Judge
Title 13. Inspection Warrants · Enacted 1968 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1822.53 lets the judge, before issuing an inspection warrant, question the applicant and any other witness under oath, and requires the judge to be satisfied that grounds for the warrant exist before granting the application.
Full Text of § 1822.53
Plain-English Summary
An affidavit alone doesn't have to settle the question of whether an inspection warrant should issue. This section lets the judge examine, under oath, both the applicant seeking the warrant and any other witness the judge chooses to question, filling in gaps or testing the reliability of what the affidavit describes.
Whatever form that examination takes, the judge has to come away satisfied that grounds exist for granting the application before the warrant can issue, keeping a neutral check between an agency's request and the authority to enter and inspect someone's property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a judge question the person applying for an inspection warrant?
Yes. Section 1822.53 lets the judge examine the applicant, and any other witness, on oath before issuing the warrant.
Is this examination mandatory before every inspection warrant is issued?
The judge may examine the applicant and witnesses, but must in every case be satisfied that grounds exist before granting the application.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1968, Ch. 1097.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: judge examines applicant inspection warrantoath witness inspection warrant hearing