California Codes

Cal. Labor Code § 3600.2 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a)Whenever any peace officer, as defined in Section 50920 of the Government Code, is injured, dies, or is disabled from performing his or her duties as a peace officer by reason of engaging in the apprehension or attempted apprehension of law violators or suspected law violators, or protection or preservation of life or property, or the preservation of the peace, anywhere in this state, including the local jurisdiction in which he or she is employed, but is not at the time acting under the immediate direction of his or her employer, the peace officer or his or her dependents, as the case may be, shall be accorded by the peace officer’s employer all of the same benefits, including the benefits of this division, that the peace officer or his or her dependents would have received had that peace officer been acting under the immediate direction of his or her employer. Any injury, disability, or death incurred under the circumstances described in this section shall be deemed to have arisen out of and been sustained in the course of employment for purposes of workers’ compensation and all other benefits.

(b)Nothing in this section shall be deemed to:

(1)Require the extension of any benefits to a peace officer who at the time of his or her injury, death, or disability is acting for compensation from one other than the city, county, city and county, judicial district, or town of his or her primary employment.

(2)Require the extension of any benefits to a peace officer employed by a city, county, city and county, judicial district, or town which by charter, ordinance, or departmental regulation, whether now in force or hereafter enacted or promulgated, expressly prohibits the activity giving rise to the injury, disability, or death.

(3)Enlarge or extend the authority of any peace officer to make an arrest; provided, however, that illegality of the arrest shall not affect the extension of benefits by reason of this act if the peace officer reasonably believed that the arrest was not illegal.

(4)Preclude an employer, at its discretion or in accordance with written policies adopted by resolution of the employer’s governing body, from accepting liability for compensation under this division for an injury sustained by a peace officer, as defined in Section 50920 of the Government Code, by reason of engaging in the apprehension or attempted apprehension of law violators or suspected law violators, or protection or preservation of life or property, or the preservation of the peace, outside the state of California, but who was not at the time acting under the immediate direction of his or her employer, including any claims for injuries sustained by peace officers during the October 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, if the employer determines that providing compensation serves the public purposes of the employer. For claims filed pursuant to this paragraph by peace officers for injuries sustained during the October 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, the date of injury for purposes of subdivision (a) of Section 5405 shall be deemed the operative date of the act adding this paragraph. Acceptance of liability under this subdivision shall not affect the determination of whether or not the peace officer acted within the scope of his or her employment for any other purpose.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 5 cases, 1988–2019 · leading case: Hodges v. Yarian, 97 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2163 (Cal. Ct. App. 1997).

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Hodges v. Yarian, 97 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2163 (Cal. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 2× “” (Lab. Code, § 3600.2, subd. (a).) Since residents of Alameda County, presumably including respondent property owners, have already *982 been taxed to provide these (and other) special benefits for deputy sheriffs such as Hodges, they are entitled to the benefit of the…”

Ferreira v. King Taco Restaurant CA2/3 (Cal. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 5× “Despite this evidence, the trial court concluded that because Ferreira obtained workers’ compensation benefits as an off-duty peace officer (Lab. Code, § 3600.2, subd. (a)), he was judicially estopped from asserting in this action that he was attempting “to break up a fight as a…”

Luna v. Workers' Comp. Appeals Bd., 53 Cal. Comp. Cases 102 (Cal. Ct. App. 1988). “is injured, dies or is disabled from performing his duties as a peace officer by reason of engaging in the apprehension or attempted apprehension of law violators or suspected law violators, or protection or preservation of life or property or the preservation of the peace…”

Gordon v. ARC Mfg., Inc. (Cal. Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 2× “981; Lab. Code, § 3600.2, subd. (a).)7 The Hodges court concluded that because the property owners "have already been taxed to provide these (and other) special benefits for deputy sheriffs such as [plaintiff], they are entitled to the benefit of the cost-spreading aspect of the…”

Luna v. Workers'comp. Appeals Bd., 199 Cal. App. 3d 77 (Cal. Ct. App. 1988). “is injured, dies or is disabled from performing his duties as a peace officer by reason of engaging in the apprehension or attempted apprehension of law violators or suspected law violators, or protection or preservation of life or property or the preservation of the peace…”

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