2023 California Code › Penal Code - PEN › PART 1 - OF CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS › TITLE 9 - OF CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON INVOLVING SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC DECENCY AND GOOD MORALS › CHAPTER 6 - DNA and Forensic Identification Data Base and Data Bank Act of 1998 › ARTICLE 5 - Expungement of Information › Section 299.

299. (a) A person whose DNA profile has been included in the databank pursuant to this chapter shall have his or her DNA specimen and sample destroyed and searchable database profile expunged from the databank program if the person has no past or present offense or pending charge which qualifies that person for inclusion within the state’s DNA and Forensic Identification Database and Databank Program and there otherwise is no legal basis for retaining the specimen or sample or searchable profile.
(b) Pursuant to subdivision (a), a person who has no past or present qualifying offense, and for whom there otherwise is no legal basis for retaining the specimen or sample or searchable profile shall have his or her specimen and sample destroyed and searchable database profile expunged from the databank program if any of the following apply:
(1) Following arrest, and after the applicable law enforcement agency has provided notice to the prosecuting attorney that the criminal case will not be presented to the prosecuting attorney for review, or after the applicable law enforcement agency has submitted a criminal case to the prosecuting attorney for review, no accusatory pleading has been filed within the applicable period allowed by law, charging the person with a qualifying offense as set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 296, in which case the prosecuting attorney shall immediately, or as soon as practically possible, submit a letter to the Department of Justice indicating that an accusatory pleading has not been filed.
(2) The charges which served as the basis for including the DNA profile in the state’s DNA and Forensic Identification Database and Databank Program have been dismissed prior to adjudication by a trier of fact, in which case the court shall forward an order to the Department of Justice upon disposition of the case, indicating that the charges have been dismissed.
(3) The underlying conviction or disposition serving as the basis for including the DNA profile has been reversed and the case dismissed, in which case the court shall forward its order to the Department of Justice upon disposition of the case.
(4) The person has been found factually innocent of the underlying offense pursuant to Section 851.8, or Section 781.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, in which case the court shall forward its order to the Department of Justice upon disposition of the case.
(5) The defendant has been found not guilty or the defendant has been acquitted of the underlying offense, in which case the court shall forward its order to the Department of Justice upon disposition of the case.
(c) Except as provided in this section, the Department of Justice shall destroy a specimen and sample and expunge the searchable DNA database profile pertaining to the person who has no present or past qualifying offense of record upon receipt of the following:
(1) A certified copy of the court order reversing and dismissing the conviction or case, or a letter from the district attorney certifying that no accusatory pleading has been filed or the charges which served as the basis for collecting a DNA specimen and sample have been dismissed prior to adjudication by a trier of fact, the defendant has been found factually innocent, the defendant has been found not guilty, the defendant has been acquitted of the underlying offense, or the underlying conviction has been reversed and the case dismissed.
(2) A court order verifying that no retrial or appeal of the case is pending.
(d) Pursuant to this section, the Department of Justice shall destroy any specimen or sample collected from the person and any searchable DNA database profile pertaining to the person, unless the department determines that the person is subject to the provisions of this chapter because of a past qualifying offense of record or is or has otherwise become obligated to submit a blood specimen or buccal swab sample as a result of a separate arrest, conviction, juvenile adjudication, or finding of guilty or not guilty by reason of insanity for an offense described in subdivision (a) of Section 296, or as a condition of a plea.
The Department of Justice is not required to destroy analytical data or other items obtained from a blood specimen or saliva, or buccal swab sample, if evidence relating to another person subject to the provisions of this chapter would thereby be destroyed or otherwise compromised.
Any identification, warrant, probable cause to arrest, or arrest based upon a databank or database match is not invalidated due to a failure to expunge or a delay in expunging records.
(e) Notwithstanding any other law, the Department of Justice DNA Laboratory is not required to expunge DNA profile or forensic identification information or destroy or return specimens, samples, or print impressions taken pursuant to this section if the duty to register under Section 290 or 457.1 is terminated.
(f) Notwithstanding any other law, including Sections 17, 1170.18, 1203.4, and 1203.4a, a judge is not authorized to relieve a person of the separate administrative duty to provide specimens, samples, or print impressions required by this chapter if a person has been found guilty or was adjudicated a ward of the court by a trier of fact of a qualifying offense as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 296, or was found not guilty by reason of insanity or pleads no contest to a qualifying offense as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 296.
(g) This section shall only become operative if the California Supreme Court rules to uphold the California Court of Appeal decision in People v. Buza (2014) 231 Cal.App.4th 1446 in regard to the provisions of Section 299 of the Penal Code, as amended by Section 9 of the DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act, Proposition 69, approved by the voters at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, in which case this section shall become operative immediately upon that ruling becoming final.
(Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 487, Sec. 5. (AB 1492) Effective January 1, 2016. Conditionally operative as prescribed by its own provisions. This section was amended on Nov. 2, 2004, by initiative Prop. 69.)