Theft or Appropriation of Lost Property

The old saying goes: “if you find it, it’s yours.” But in California, charges for failing to return lost objects to their rightful owners can be treated as a crime.
California Penal Code 485 PC — the California law against appropriation (or wrongful appropriation) — prohibits keeping in your possession something that you find when there are indicators that point to its true owner. You are not required to go to extremes to identify and contact the owner. But the law says that you must make a reasonable attempt to do so.

California Penal Code 485 PC can be filed as an infraction, a misdemeanor, or a felony, depending on the value of the property (if the value exceeds $950, it may be filed as a felony; if the value is $950 or less, it can only be filed as a misdemeanor petty theft).

• The circumstances of the offense and
  
  
• Your criminal history
  
  

If you are convicted of theft or appropriation of lost property as an infraction, you face a maximum fine of $250. If convicted of a misdemeanor, you face up to one year in county jail and a maximum fine of $1,000. If convicted of a felony, you face up to three years in California state prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.