# California — Filial responsibility laws by state — what each statute actually says about an adult child's liability for a parent's care

For California, statute is 4400; who owes the duty is an adult child shall, to the extent of the adult child’s ability, support a parent who is in need and unable to self-maintain by work; condition on the parent is a parent who is in need and unable to self-maintain by work; ability-to-pay qualifier is to the extent of the adult child’s ability; civil or criminal is civil, recorded from its source on 2026-08-31.

- **State:** California _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Statute:** 4400 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Who owes the duty:** an adult child shall, to the extent of the adult child’s ability, support a parent who is in need and unable to self-maintain by work _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Condition on the parent:** a parent who is in need and unable to self-maintain by work _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Ability-to-pay qualifier:** to the extent of the adult child’s ability _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Civil or criminal:** civil _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Who may bring the action:** A parent, or the county on behalf of the parent, may bring an action against the child to enforce the duty of support under this part. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Limited to public assistance cases:** extends beyond public charge _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> PART 4. SUPPORT OF PARENTS [4400 - 4414] ( Part 4 enacted by Stats. 1992, Ch. 162, Sec. 10. ) CHAPTER 1. General Provisions [4400 - 4405] ( Chapter 1 enacted by Stats. 1992, Ch. 162, Sec. 10. ) 4400. Except as otherwise provided by law, an adult child shall, to the extent of the adult child’s ability, support a parent who is in need and unable to self-maintain by work.

## Where each value comes from

This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it.

### Who owes the duty

> 4400. Except as otherwise provided by law, an adult child shall, to the extent of the adult child’s ability, support a parent who is in need and unable to self-maintain by work.

### Condition on the parent

> 4400. Except as otherwise provided by law, an adult child shall, to the extent of the adult child’s ability, support a parent who is in need and unable to self-maintain by work.

### Ability-to-pay qualifier

> 4400. Except as otherwise provided by law, an adult child shall, to the extent of the adult child’s ability, support a parent who is in need and unable to self-maintain by work.

### Civil or criminal

> 4403. (a) Subject to subdivision (b): (1) A parent, or the county on behalf of the parent, may bring an action against the child to enforce the duty of support under this part.

### Who may bring the action

> 4403. (a) Subject to subdivision (b): (1) A parent, or the county on behalf of the parent, may bring an action against the child to enforce the duty of support under this part. (2) If the county furnishes support to a parent, the county has the same right as the parent to whom the support was furnished to secure reimbursement and obtain continuing support.

### Limited to public assistance cases

> 4403. (a) Subject to subdivision (b): (1) A parent, or the county on behalf of the parent, may bring an action against the child to enforce the duty of support under this part. (2) If the county furnishes support to a parent, the county has the same right as the parent to whom the support was furnished to secure reimbursement and obtain continuing support.

## Source

- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=FAM&division=9.&title=&part=4.&chapter=1.&article=

Last verified: 2026-08-31. Review by: 2027-08-31.
Part of [Filial responsibility laws by state — what each statute actually says about an adult child's liability for a parent's care](https://referencesource.org/filial-responsibility-laws-by-state/).