PC 415 misdemeanor
Clearing a disturbing the peace conviction
Disturbing the peace is frequently the landing place of a plea bargain, which means the thing on your record may be much less serious than the thing you were originally accused of.
What makes this charge different
- It is one of the most common reduced charges in California plea bargaining, so the record often understates the original allegation
- It can be charged as an infraction, which makes it the cheapest thing we clear
- Many of these cases ended with a fine and no probation, putting them under 1203.4a
What this charge is
Penal Code 415 covers fighting in public, making unreasonable noise, and using offensive words in public likely to provoke a violent reaction. It can be charged as a misdemeanour or an infraction.
Felony or misdemeanour?
It is a misdemeanour or an infraction, never a felony. If yours was an infraction, it is the cheapest service we offer.
Which relief applies
A dismissal under 1203.4 where probation was granted and completed, or 1203.4a where it was not — and for this charge, often it was not.
The thing to watch out for
Check what the record actually says before assuming. Because PC 415 is so often a reduced charge, people sometimes have it alongside a dismissed original charge, or remember the original rather than the conviction. The records review sorts that out, and occasionally finds there is less to clear than feared.
The law that applies
- Expungement (PC 1203.4) — The court lets you withdraw your plea or sets aside the verdict, then dismisses the case, which releases you from most of the penalties of the conviction.
- Dismissal without probation (PC 1203.4a) — It gives the same dismissal as section 1203.4, for misdemeanour and infraction convictions where the court never granted probation.
Our flat fee for a case like this is $599, all in, with the court filing fee included. What that covers.
Common questions
Mine was reduced from something worse.
Then what is on your record is the reduced charge, which is what gets dismissed. The original allegation is not a conviction.
It was an infraction, not a misdemeanour.
Then it goes under Penal Code 1203.4a and it is our cheapest service at $399 all in.
Legal information on this page was last checked against primary sources in October 2026. California law changes; if you are reading this long after that date, confirm before you rely on it.