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Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY

Chapter 9.22 — IMPERSONATING PUBLIC OFFICIALS

Palo Alto Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-09-29 · Palo Alto

9.22.010 Prohibited.

(a) No person shall falsely represent himself to be a public officer, inspector, deputy, clerk or other employee or agent or agency of the city of Palo Alto, any other city, or any other governmental agency not covered by the terms of Penal Code Section 146a, and in such assumed character:

(1) Threaten or intimidate any person, or purport or threaten to arrest any person; or

(2) Obtain entry to or search any premises, or search any person or the property of any person, or attempt to make any such entry or search; or

(3) Obtain or attempt to obtain money, property or other thing of value; or

(4) Obtain or attempt to obtain information from any person; or

(5) Contact one or more persons for any other purpose.

For the purpose of this section, "contact" means personal contact, use of the telephone, the mails, telegraph, circular, advertisement, or any other means of communication, written or oral.

(Ord. 2355, 1967: prior code § 7.14)

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▸Contents — Palo Alto Municipal Code
Palo Alto Municipal Code
  1. Article VIII — A. Board of Education
  2. Title 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  3. Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
  4. Title 4 — BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
  5. Title 5 — HEALTH AND SANITATION
  6. Title 6 — ANIMALS
  7. Title 8 — TREES AND VEGETATION
  8. ▸Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY
    Overview
    1. 9.04 Alcoholic Beverages
    2. 9.05 Entertainment Zones
    3. 9.06 Rental of Recreational Vehicles for Human Habitation
    4. 9.07 Safe Storage of Firearms
    5. 9.08 Guns and Explosives
    6. 9.09 Public Nuisance
    7. 9.10 Noise
    8. 9.12 Loudspeakers
    9. 9.14 Smoking and Tobacco Regulations
    10. 9.16 Reserved
    11. 9.17 Reserved
    12. 9.20 Reserved
    13. 9.22 Impersonating Public Officials
    14. 9.24 Reserved
    15. 9.26 Private Patrol Service
    16. 9.28 Hotels and Rooming Houses
    17. 9.32 Reserved
    18. 9.40 Aircraft
    19. 9.44 Solicitation of Employment, Business, or Contributions Wi…
    20. 9.45 Solicitation in Streets, Commercial Parking Areas, and in…
    21. 9.48 Obstructing Streets and Sidewalks
    22. 9.50 Graffiti
    23. 9.56 Abatement of Nuisances
    24. 9.57 Reserved
    25. 9.60 Civic Center Block Regulations
    26. 9.64 Regulation of Community Facilities
    27. 9.65 Residential Rental Registry Program
    28. 9.68 Rental Housing Stabilization
    29. 9.70 Resale Controls For Units Originally Financed With Mortga…
    30. 9.72 Mandatory Response to Request for Discussion of Disputes …
    31. 9.73 City Policy Against Arbitrary Discrimination
    32. 9.74 Discrimination Against Families with Minor Children in Ho…
    33. 9.76 Mobilehome Park Conversion
    34. 9.78 Mosquito Abatement
    35. 9.79 Newsracks
    36. Chapter 9.04 — ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
    37. Chapter 9.05 — ENTERTAINMENT ZONES
    38. Chapter 9.06 — RENTAL OF VEHICLES FOR HUMAN HABITATION
    39. Chapter 9.07 — SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS
    40. Chapter 9.08 — GUNS AND EXPLOSIVES
    41. Chapter 9.09 — PUBLIC NUISANCE
    42. Chapter 9.10 — NOISE
    43. Chapter 9.12 — LOUDSPEAKERS
    44. Chapter 9.14 — SMOKING AND TOBACCO REGULATIONS
    45. Chapter 9.16 — RESERVED
    46. Chapter 9.17 — RESERVED
    47. Chapter 9.20 — RESERVED
    48. Chapter 9.22 — IMPERSONATING PUBLIC OFFICIALS
    49. Chapter 9.24 — RESERVED
    50. Chapter 9.26 — PRIVATE PATROL SERVICE
    51. Chapter 9.28 — HOTELS AND ROOMING HOUSES
    52. Chapter 9.32 — RESERVED
    53. Chapter 9.40 — AIRCRAFT
    54. Chapter 9.44 — SOLICITATION OF EMPLOYMENT, BUSINESS, OR CONTRI…
    55. Chapter 9.45 — SOLICITATION IN STREETS, COMMERCIAL PARKING ARE…
    56. Chapter 9.48 — OBSTRUCTING STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
    57. Chapter 9.50 — GRAFFITI
    58. Chapter 9.56 — ABATEMENT OF NUISANCES
    59. Chapter 9.57 — RESERVED
    60. Chapter 9.60 — CIVIC CENTER BLOCK REGULATIONS
    61. Chapter 9.64 — REGULATION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES
    62. Chapter 9.65 — RESIDENTIAL RENTAL REGISTRY PROGRAM
    63. Chapter 9.68 — RENTAL HOUSING STABILIZATION
    64. Chapter 9.70 — RESALE CONTROLS FOR UNITS ORIGINALLY FINANCED W…
    65. Chapter 9.72 — MANDATORY RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION OF
    66. Chapter 9.73 — CITY POLICY AGAINST ARBITRARY DISCRIMINATION
    67. Chapter 9.74 — DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FAMILIES WITH MINOR CHIL…
    68. Chapter 9.78 — MOSQUITO ABATEMENT
    69. Chapter 9.79 — NEWSRACKS
  9. Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
  10. Title 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCEDURE
  11. Title 12 — PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
  12. Title 13 — IMPROVEMENT PROCEDURE
  13. Title 15 — FIRE PREVENTION
  14. Title 16 — BUILDING REGULATIONS
  15. Title 17 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE
  16. Title 18 — ZONING
  17. Title 19 — MASTER PLAN
  18. Article 7 — AUTHORITY FOR AND SCOPE OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLANS.
  19. Article 8 — PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLAN.
  20. Chapter 19.06 — SPECIFIC PLANS
  21. Chapter 19.10 — COORDINATED AREA PLANS
  22. Title 20 — PRECISE PLANS
  23. Title 21 — SUBDIVISIONS AND OTHER DIVISIONS OF LAND
  24. Title 22 — PARKS

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