The Exact Megan's Law Notice a Torrance Lease Must Contain

Published August 10, 2026

Civil Code section 2079.10a requires specific wording, in at least 8-point type, in every lease or rental agreement for single-family residential property in California, Torrance included. The notice points tenants to the state's own sex offender database rather than summarizing it. Here is the required language and what the statute does and does not require of a landlord.

The short answer

Civil Code section 2079.10a requires every lease or rental agreement for single-family residential property entered into on or after July 1, 1999 to include a specific written notice, in at least 8-point type, about the state's sex offender registry website under Penal Code section 290.46. For agreements entered on or after April 1, 2006, the statute sets the current required wording. Once you deliver that notice, you owe no further duty to research or disclose individual offenders near the property.

Last verified: August 10, 2026

The two statutes work together

Two code sections get cited together for this requirement, and they do different jobs.

Penal Code section 290.46 is the statute that actually creates the registry. It directs the Department of Justice to maintain a public website, known as the Megan's Law website, where certain registered sex offender information is posted. Section 290.46 governs how the state runs that database and how the public may and may not use the information in it. It does not, on its own, require a landlord to put anything in a lease.

Civil Code section 2079.10a is the statute that puts the burden on landlords. It requires leases for single-family residential property to carry a specific written notice pointing tenants to that Penal Code section 290.46 database, so tenants know it exists and where to find it.

The exact required wording

For agreements entered into on or after April 1, 2006, section 2079.10a specifies the notice must read:

"Notice: Pursuant to Section 290.46 of the Penal Code, information about specified registered sex offenders is made available to the public via an Internet Web site maintained by the Department of Justice at www.meganslaw.ca.gov. Depending on an offender's criminal history, this information will include either the address at which the offender resides or the community of residence and ZIP Code in which the offender resides."

This is verbatim statutory language, not a paraphrase. A landlord in Torrance filling out a lease should reproduce this wording exactly rather than summarizing it in their own words, since the statute is specific about the content.

Quick reference

| Requirement | Detail | Citation |

|---|---|---|

| Applies to | Leases and rental agreements for single-family residential property | Civil Code 2079.10a |

| Effective date | Leases entered on or after July 1, 1999 | Civil Code 2079.10a |

| Current wording effective | Agreements entered on or after April 1, 2006 | Civil Code 2079.10a |

| Minimum type size | 8-point type | Civil Code 2079.10a |

| Underlying registry statute | Penal Code section 290.46 | Penal Code 290.46 |

| Registry website named in notice | www.meganslaw.ca.gov | Civil Code 2079.10a |

| Duty to research nearby offenders after notice given | None, safe harbor applies | Civil Code 2079.10a |

What delivering the notice does and does not do for you

Once the notice above is included in the lease, in at least 8-point type, the statute gives the landlord and any broker a safe harbor. They are not required to go further and provide additional information about specific registered sex offenders or their proximity to the property. The notice itself satisfies the disclosure obligation created by this section.

That safe harbor is narrow, though. The statute also preserves whatever other disclosure duties exist under California law. This section covers one specific notice about the existence of the registry. It does not immunize a landlord from separate obligations elsewhere in the Civil Code, such as the death and HIV disclosure rules in section 1710.2, or physical condition disclosures.

What this means for a Torrance lease

This is a statewide requirement, not a Torrance municipal rule, so it applies the same way whether the unit is a single-family house near Wilson Park or anywhere else in California. Practical steps:

• Check your current lease template. If it has an older version of this notice, or paraphrases the registry rather than quoting the statutory language, update it to the wording above.
• Use at least 8-point type. This is a specific, checkable formatting requirement, not a suggestion.
• Do not treat the notice as an invitation to research and disclose specific offenders near a given property. The statute's safe harbor exists precisely so landlords are not put in that position.
• If you manage multiunit buildings in addition to single-family homes, confirm with a real estate attorney whether the same or a related notice requirement applies to your particular property type, since the applicability language is specific to single-family residential leases.

FAQ

Do I have to look up whether a registered sex offender lives near my rental before I lease it?

No. Once you provide the statutory notice, section 2079.10a relieves you of any duty to provide additional information about specific offenders or their proximity to the property.

Can I paraphrase the notice instead of using the exact wording?

The statute specifies particular text for agreements entered on or after April 1, 2006. Use that wording as written rather than a summary, since the point of the section is the specific notice language.

What type size does the notice need to be?

At least 8-point type.

Does this notice apply to a month-to-month rental the same way it applies to a one year lease?

The statute applies to leases and rental agreements broadly for single-family residential property. Confirm any distinctions for specific lease structures with a licensed attorney, since that level of detail was not fully confirmed in the text reviewed here.

Is this the same law as the death disclosure rule for rentals?

No. This notice comes from Civil Code section 2079.10a referencing Penal Code section 290.46. Death and HIV disclosure is a separate statute, Civil Code section 1710.2.

Where does the actual sex offender information live?

On the Department of Justice's own website, www.meganslaw.ca.gov, as named directly in the required notice text.

This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your exact lease language against the current statute at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and with a licensed attorney before relying on it.

Topics: compliance, landlord law, disclosures, South Bay, Torrance, leases

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