"Officer" means the sheriff, marshal, clerk of court, judge or magistrate (if there is no clerk), board, commission, department, or other public official or entity to whom the bond is given or with whom a copy of the bond is filed or who is required to determine the sufficiency of the sureties or to approve the bond.
§ 995.160.Officer
Title 14. Of Miscellaneous Provisions · Chapter 2. Bonds and Undertakings · Article 1. Preliminary Provisions and Definitions · Last amended 1997 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 995.160 defines officer broadly to include the sheriff, marshal, clerk of court, a judge or magistrate where there is no clerk, and any board, commission, department, or other public official or entity to whom a bond is given, with whom it's filed, or who must determine the sureties' sufficiency or approve the bond.
Full Text of § 995.160
Plain-English Summary
Not every bond runs through the court itself. Some go to a sheriff levying on property, a marshal, a licensing board, or another public official or entity outside the courthouse. Section 995.160 gathers all of these under the single term "officer" — the sheriff, marshal, clerk of court, or, where there's no clerk, a judge or magistrate, plus any board, commission, department, or other public official or entity that receives the bond, holds a filed copy, or is tasked with judging the sureties' sufficiency or approving the bond.
That broad definition lets provisions like § 995.340's filing rules and § 995.410's approval rules work whether the bond runs through a court clerk or through some other public official entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does "officer" under this chapter mean only law enforcement?
No. It includes the sheriff and marshal, but also the clerk of court, a judge or magistrate where there's no clerk, and any board, commission, department, or other public official or entity connected to the bond.
What connects a person or entity to the "officer" definition?
Being the one to whom the bond is given, with whom a copy is filed, or who must determine the sureties' sufficiency or approve the bond.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 872, Sec. 19. Effective January 1, 1997.
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
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