An inspection warrant shall be effective for the time specified therein, but not for a period of more than 14 days, unless extended or renewed by the judge who signed and issued the original warrant, upon satisfying himself that such extension or renewal is in the public interest. Such inspection warrant must be executed and returned to the judge by whom it was issued within the time specified in the warrant or within the extended or renewed time. After the expiration of such time, the warrant, unless executed, is void.
§ 1822.55.Time Period Warrant Effective; Execution and Return; Void After Expiration of Time
Title 13. Inspection Warrants · Enacted 1968 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1822.55 limits an inspection warrant's effectiveness to no more than 14 days unless the issuing judge extends or renews it as being in the public interest, and requires the warrant to be executed and returned within that time or become void.
Full Text of § 1822.55
Plain-English Summary
This section keeps an inspection warrant from staying live indefinitely. The warrant is effective only for the time it specifies, and that time can't exceed 14 days, unless the same judge who signed and issued the original warrant extends or renews it after being satisfied that doing so serves the public interest.
The warrant also has to be executed, and then returned to the issuing judge, within that original or extended time. If it isn't executed by then, the warrant becomes void, so an agency can't sit on an unused warrant and act on it later without going back to the judge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is an inspection warrant valid for?
No more than 14 days from issuance, unless the issuing judge extends or renews it.
Who can extend or renew the warrant?
Only the judge who signed and issued the original warrant, and only upon being satisfied the extension or renewal serves the public interest.
What happens if the warrant isn't executed within its time period?
It becomes void, and it must be returned to the issuing judge within the original or extended period.
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: how long is inspection warrant valid14 day expiration inspection warrant