What is the Megan's Law lease notice?

California Civil Code §2079.10a requires every residential lease and rental agreement to include a specific notice informing tenants that information about registered sex offenders is publicly available at meganslaw.ca.gov. The statute provides verbatim language that must be used.

Is this notice required in every California lease?

Yes — every residential lease and rental agreement, no exceptions for property type, owner type, or rent level. The requirement applies to single-family rentals, condos, apartments, dorm-style rentals, and any other residential tenancy.

Can I paraphrase the notice?

No. §2079.10a provides verbatim text. Paraphrasing or summarizing does not satisfy the statute. Use the exact statutory language.

Where does the notice go in the lease?

Anywhere visible to the tenant — typically a section near the disclosures section. The statute doesn't mandate placement, only inclusion. Bold or highlighted text is good practice.

What if I forgot to include it?

It's a statutory violation that creates civil exposure if a tenant later claims they were uninformed and suffered harm. The lease itself remains generally enforceable, but the missing disclosure creates a documented compliance failure that supports broader claims of disclosure deficiency.

California Megan's Law Notice — Civil Code §2079.10a Required Lease Language

TL;DR

Civil Code §2079.10a requires verbatim notice text in every residential lease pointing tenants to meganslaw.ca.gov. No exceptions for property type. Paraphrasing doesn't satisfy. Include in every lease and renewal.

The notice text

The statutory text required by §2079.10a is, in substance:

Required notice (§2079.10a)NOTICE: Pursuant to Section 290.46 of the Penal Code, information about specified registered sex offenders is made available to the public via an Internet Web site maintained by the Department of Justice at www.meganslaw.ca.gov. Depending on an offender's criminal history, this information will include either the address at which the offender resides or the community of residence and ZIP Code in which he or she resides.

Use the exact statutory text. Verify against the current version of §2079.10a at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov before lease finalization — the statute has been amended over time.

Where to put it

Anywhere prominent in the lease. Best practice is in a "Disclosures" section toward the end, with bold or highlighted formatting. The statute requires inclusion, not specific placement.

Renewals and updates

Include the notice in every new lease. When renewing or extending an existing tenancy with a new written agreement, include it again. When converting to month-to-month, the original lease's inclusion suffices unless a new written agreement is created.

Common questions — Megan's Law notice

What is it?

§2079.10a verbatim notice in every residential lease pointing tenants to meganslaw.ca.gov.

Required in every lease?

Yes, no exceptions.

Can I paraphrase?

No. Use the verbatim statutory text.

Where in the lease?

Anywhere visible. Disclosures section is typical.

If missing?

Statutory violation. Lease remains generally enforceable, but disclosure failure creates broader compliance exposure.

The Megan's Law Notice. Required text. Every California lease.