Which statute the prosecutor picks changes the fine by four figures, which is why the Law Office of Katie Walsh reads the citation before anything else.

What Charge Does a Teen Face for a Fake ID?

Two statutes cover the same card, and they carry very different numbers.

• Business and Professions Code 25661 makes it a misdemeanor for someone under 21 to present false evidence of age, or simply to possess it. A first violation carries a fine of at least $250, no part of which may be suspended, or 24 to 32 hours of community service, or both.
• Penal Code 529.5 covers possession of a false government document, and subdivision (c) sets the fine at not less than $1,000 and not more than $2,500.

Note what the first statute says. The $250 is a floor a judge cannot suspend, not a ceiling, and possession alone is enough without any attempt to buy anything.

Forgery is the fear parents arrive with, and it rarely fits. Penal Code 470b requires intent that the ID be used to facilitate a forgery, and getting into a bar is not a forgery. Borrowing a sibling’s real license is its own misdemeanor under Vehicle Code 14610.

Will a Teen Lose Their Driver License Over a Fake ID?

No, not for offenses committed on or after January 1, 2020. Senate Bill 485 removed the Business and Professions Code alcohol offenses from Vehicle Code 13202.5, and that one-year suspension now applies only to driving offenses still on that list, such as driving under the influence and reckless driving.

The old rule is still published in places parents trust, including a state agency page. None of the statutes that apply to a fake ID carries a license consequence of its own, though a separate alcohol or drug case can still reach a teen’s driving privileges, and an Orange County juvenile defense lawyer keeps the two apart.

What Happens in Juvenile Court, and Does the Record Stay?

Welfare and Institutions Code 650 has the district attorney commence the case by petition, and Welfare and Institutions Code 602 gives the court jurisdiction over a minor between 12 and 17. There is no jury, and the outcome is a sustained petition, not a conviction.

The realistic first-offense path is informal supervision. Welfare and Institutions Code 654 lets probation order up to six months of supervision without filing a petition, and section 654.2 allows the same after one is filed, with the petition dismissed on completion. Both need the consent of the teen and a parent. Parents often ask about deferred entry of judgment because the court publishes a brochure, but that program applies to felony filings and a fake ID case is a misdemeanor.

The ending is better than most families expect. Under Welfare and Institutions Code 786, satisfactory completion means the court must dismiss the petition and must seal the records, and the arrest is then deemed not to have occurred, which the statute says the person may state to an employer or an educational institution. No separate petition is needed, and sealing a juvenile record works differently than the adult process.

Bring a Fake ID Case to the Law Office of Katie Walsh Early

The difference between a $250 statute and a $1,000 statute, and between supervision and a sustained petition, is usually settled in the first few weeks. Our Orange County juvenile defense attorney spent nearly ten years as an Orange County prosecutor, including juvenile cases at the Lamoreaux Justice Center. Call (714) 351-0178 or contact us online for a free consultation.