742.16. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 575, Sec. 10.)

(a) If a minor is found to be a person described in Section 602 of this code by reason of the commission of an act prohibited by Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7 of the Penal Code, and the court does not remove the minor from the physical custody of the parent or guardian, the court as a condition of probation, except in any case in which the court makes a finding and states on the record its reasons why that condition would be inappropriate, may require the minor to wash, paint, repair, or replace the property defaced, damaged, or destroyed by the minor or otherwise pay restitution to the probation officer of the county for disbursement to the owner or possessor of the property or both. In any case in which the minor is not granted probation or in which the minor’s cleanup, repair, or replacement of the property will not return the property to its condition before it was defaced, damaged, or destroyed, the court shall make a finding of the amount of restitution that would be required to fully compensate the owner and possessor of the property for their damages. The court may order the minor or the minor’s estate to pay that restitution to the probation officer of the county for disbursement to the owner or possessor of the property or both, only if the court determines that the minor or the minor’s estate has the ability to do so, except in any case in which the court makes a finding and states on the record its reasons why full restitution would be inappropriate. If full restitution is found to be inappropriate, the court may require the minor to perform specified community service, except in any case in which the court makes a finding and states on the record its reasons why that condition would be inappropriate.

(b) If a minor is found to be a person described in Section 602 of this code by reason of the commission of an act prohibited by Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7 of the Penal Code, and the graffiti or other material inscribed by the minor has been removed, or the property defaced by the minor has been repaired or replaced by a public entity that has elected, pursuant to Section 742.14, to have the probation officer of the county recoup its costs through proceedings in accordance with this section and has made cost findings in accordance with subdivision (c) or (d) of Section 742.14, the court shall determine the total cost incurred by the public entity for said removal, repair, or replacement, using, if applicable, the cost findings most recently adopted by the public entity pursuant to subdivision (c) or (d) of Section 742.14. The court may order the minor or the minor’s estate to pay those costs to the probation officer of the county only if the court determines that the minor or the minor’s estate has the ability to do so.

(c) If the minor is found to be a person described in Section 602 of this code by reason of the commission of an act prohibited by Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7 of the Penal Code, and the minor was identified or apprehended by the law enforcement agency of a city or county that has elected, pursuant to Section 742.14, to have the probation officer of the county recoup its costs through proceedings in accordance with this section, the court shall determine the cost of identifying or apprehending the minor, or both, using, if applicable, the cost findings adopted by the city or county pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 742.14. The court may order the minor or the minor’s estate to pay those costs to the probation officer of the county only if the court determines that the minor or the minor’s estate has the ability to do so.

(d) If the court determines that the minor or the minor’s estate is unable to pay in full the costs and damages determined pursuant to subdivisions (a), (b), and (c), and if the minor’s parent or parents have been cited into court pursuant to Section 742.18, the court shall hold a hearing to determine the liability of the minor’s parent or parents pursuant to Section 1714.1 of the Civil Code for those costs and damages. Except when the court makes a finding setting forth unusual circumstances in which parental liability would not serve the interests of justice, the court may order the minor’s parent or parents to pay those costs and damages to the probation officer of the county only if the court determines that the parent or parents have the ability to pay, if the minor was in the custody or control of the parent or parents at the time the minor committed the act that forms the basis for the finding that the minor is a person described in Section 602. In evaluating the parent’s or parents’ ability to pay, the court shall take into consideration the family income, the necessary obligations of the family, and the number of persons dependent upon this income.

(e) The hearing described in subdivision (d) may be held immediately following the disposition hearing or at a later date, at the option of the court.

(f) If the amount of costs and damages sought to be recovered in the hearing pursuant to subdivision (d) is five thousand dollars ($5,000) or less, the parent or parents may not be represented by counsel and the probation officer of the county shall be represented by a nonattorney designee. The court shall conduct that hearing in accordance with Sections 116.510 and 116.520 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the court determines that a parent cannot properly present their defense, the court may, in its discretion, allow another individual to assist that parent. In addition, a spouse may appear and participate in the hearing on behalf of their spouse if the representative’s spouse has given consent and the court determines that the interest of justice would be served thereby.

(g) If the amount of costs and damages sought to be recovered in the hearing pursuant to subdivision (d) exceeds five thousand dollars ($5,000), the parent or parents may be represented by counsel of their own choosing, and the probation officer of the county shall be represented by the district attorney or an attorney or nonattorney designee of the probation officer. The parent or parents shall not be entitled to court-appointed counsel or to counsel compensated at public expense.

(h) At the hearing conducted pursuant to subdivision (d), there shall be a presumption affecting the burden of proof that the findings of the court made pursuant to subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) represent the actual damages and costs attributable to the act of the minor that forms the basis of the finding that the minor is a person described in Section 602.

(i) If the parent or parents, after having been cited to appear pursuant to Section 742.18, fail to appear as ordered, the court shall order the parent or parents to pay the full amount of the costs and damages determined by the court pursuant to subdivisions (a), (b), and (c).

(j) Execution may be issued on an order issued by the court pursuant to this section in the same manner as on a judgment in a civil action, including any balance unpaid at the termination of the court’s jurisdiction over the minor.

(k) At any time prior to the satisfaction of a judgment entered pursuant to this section, a person against whom the judgment was entered may petition the rendering court to modify or vacate the judgment on the showing of a change in circumstances relating to the person’s ability to pay the judgment.

( l ) For purposes of a hearing conducted pursuant to subdivision (d), the judge of the juvenile court shall have the jurisdiction of a judge of the superior court in a limited civil case, and if the amount of the demand is within the jurisdictional limits stated in Sections 116.220 and 116.221 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the judge of the juvenile court shall have the powers of a judge presiding over the small claims court.

(m) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of a juvenile court to provide conditions of probation.

(n) The options available to the court pursuant to subdivisions (a), (b), (c), (d), and (k), to order payment by the minor and the minor’s parent or parents of less than the full costs described in subdivisions (a), (b), and (c), on grounds of financial inability or for reasons of justice, shall not be available to a superior court in an ordinary civil proceeding pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1714.1 of the Civil Code, except that in any proceeding pursuant to either subdivision (b) of Section 1714.1 of the Civil Code or this section, the maximum amount that a parent or a minor may be ordered to pay shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for each tort of the minor.