SECTIONS 5500-5506 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 5500-5506

5500. As used in this chapter:
(a) "Public security" means a bond, note, certificate of
indebtedness, or other obligation for the payment of money, issued by
any county, city, or public district.
(b) "Instrument of payment" means a check, draft, warrant, or
order for the payment, delivery, or transfer of funds.
(c) "Authorized officer" means any official of this State or any
of its departments, agencies, or other instrumentalities, or any
county, city, or public district whose signature to a public security
or instrument of payment is required or permitted, or any deputy of
such official who has been authorized by such official in writing to
affix the official's signature.
(d) "Facsimile signature" means the reproduction by engraving,
imprinting, stamping, or other means of the manual signature of an
authorized officer.

5501. Any authorized officer may, after filing with the Secretary
of State his manual signature certified by him under oath, execute or
cause to be executed with a facsimile signature in lieu of his
manual signature:
(a) Any public security, provided that at least one signature
required or permitted to be placed thereon shall be manually
subscribed; and
(b) Any instrument of payment.
Upon compliance with this section by the authorized officer, his
facsimile signature has the same legal effect as his manual
signature.

5502. When the seal of this State or any of its departments,
agencies, or other instrumentalities, or of any county, city, or
public district, is required in the execution of a public security or
instrument of payment, the authorized officer may cause the seal to
be printed, engraved, stamped, or otherwise placed in facsimile
thereon. The facsimile seal has the same legal effect as the
impression of the seal.

5503. Any person who with intent to defraud uses on a public
security or an instrument of payment;
(a) A facsimile signature, or any reproduction of it, of any
authorized officer, or
(b) Any facsimile seal, or any reproduction of it, of this State
or any of its departments, agencies, or other instrumentalities, or
of any county, city, or public district, is guilty of a felony.

5504. This act shall be so construed as to effectuate its general
purpose to make uniform the law of states which enact it.

5505. This chapter may be cited as the Uniform Facsimile Signature
of Public Officials Act.

5506. If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof
to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall
not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can
be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to
this end the provisions of this chapter are severable.