What is the Jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol (CHP)?

You were just cited for speeding on a rural California road by a CHP officer. Can this be right?

Isn’t the CHP just responsible for overseeing California’s major highways?

The California Highway Patrol can generally exercise its law enforcement authority anywhere in the State of California. The CHP has primary patrol jurisdiction over the following:

• all of California’s state highways and freeways, and
• roads and streets outside city limits.¹

Some of the primary tasks/responsibilities of the CHP are to:

• enforce the California Vehicle Code,
• fight crime,
• attend to traffic accidents, and
• promote public safety.

1. What does the CHP have authority over in California?

According to California law, any member of the Department of the California Highway Patrol is a peace officer whose authority extends to any place in the State of California.²

The CHP also has primary patrol jurisdiction over roads and streets outside city limits and all California state routes, including state:

• freeways,
• expressways,
• highways, and
• state routes.³

In addition to the above, law enforcement personnel of the CHP can generally assist local police and county agencies to patrol major city streets.⁴

In 1995, the California State Police (CSP) merged with the then California Highway Patrol to form today’s CHP.⁵

2. What are some functions of the California Highway Patrol?

In exercising its jurisdiction, members of the CHP perform several important functions throughout California. Some of these include:

• making traffic stops, issuing traffic citations, and engaging in traffic enforcement,
• working with allied agencies and other state law enforcement agencies to patrol streets and roads,
• attending to and investigating motor vehicle accidents (including all accidents involving school buses),
• drafting traffic collision reports,
• attending to traffic obstructions,
• promoting safe driving for all ages,
• informing children on the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and
• supporting victims of crimes.⁶

3. What are the three main types of peace officers in California?

There are generally three main types of peace officers in California. These include:

• a highway patrol officer (discussed above),
• a sheriff’s deputy, and
• a police officer.

A deputy sheriff typically works for a County Sheriff’s Department. Note that the State of California is comprised of numerous different counties.

If a particular community within the state has not been incorporated into a specific city (for example, it is unincorporated), the county in which that community is situated helps with law enforcement efforts. The County Sheriff’s Department is the agency within that community that performs these efforts.

Further, some cities within a county may contract with the County Sheriff’s Department to help with law enforcement services.

Unlike a highway patrol officer or a sheriff’s deputy, a police officer generally works for a particular city. For example, a member of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) works for the City of San Francisco.

A member of a city’s police department helps with law enforcement efforts within that city.

Please keep in mind, though, that despite the above distinctions, all of the above peace officers can exercise their general police powers anywhere in California.⁷

For example, a member of the SFPD can arrest someone in southern California if he/she witnesses the person commit a crime.

4. How is the CHP organized?

The California Highway Patrol is headed and directed by a commissioner who is then supported by a:

• deputy commissioner,
• assistant commissioner, field, and
• assistant commissioner, staff.⁸

The CHP is headquartered in Sacramento and consists of:

• eight local area offices,
• inspection facilities, and
• communication centers and dispatch centers throughout the state.⁹

You can find your nearest CHP area office by clicking here.

To report suspicious activity, please dial 911.

If you observe suspicious activity and it does not pose an immediate threat of harm, you can report the act by clicking here and:

• locate the Regional Threat Awareness Center for your area, and
• submit a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR).

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