When someone you love is in danger and refuses help, it is natural to ask whether the law can step in. In California, the answer is: sometimes, for a short time, and only when strict conditions are met. This guide explains what the law allows in 2026, what it does not, and how families can turn a crisis into a real path to treatment.
Can You Force Someone Into Rehab in California? SB 43, 5150 Holds and Your Options
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VFReviewed by Vinsent Franke, MBA, AMFT, CADC-II, RA, Founder of iRely Recovery. Updated November 2026.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws and county practices change. For your specific situation, speak with a California attorney or your county behavioral health department.
QUICK ANSWER
Can you force someone into rehab in California?
Not simply because they use drugs or alcohol. California has no law that lets a family send an adult to rehab on request. However, since SB 43 took effect (January 1, 2026 in Los Angeles County), a person whose severe substance use disorder leaves them unable to provide for their food, clothing, shelter, personal safety or necessary medical care can be placed on a short involuntary hold (a 5150) for evaluation. In serious cases this can lead to longer holds or a conservatorship. Most families use these options as a bridge to voluntary treatment, not a replacement for it.
In a crisis right now?
- Emergency: call 911.
- Suicide or mental health crisis: call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
- Los Angeles County: the Department of Mental Health 24/7 Help Line is (800) 854-7771.
What Does 5150 Mean?
5150 is the section of the California Welfare and Institutions Code that allows a person to be held for up to 72 hours for evaluation and crisis treatment when, because of a mental health disorder or severe substance use disorder, they are a danger to themselves or others or gravely disabled.
The Short Answer for Families
Can I make my adult son, daughter or spouse go to rehab because they drink or use?
No. Using, even heavily, is not enough on its own.
Can they be held against their will?
Yes, for up to 72 hours at first, if they are a danger to themselves or others, or gravely disabled by a mental health disorder or a severe substance use disorder.
Who decides?
Police officers and specially authorized clinicians or crisis teams, not family members.
Will they go to a rehab like iRely Recovery?
Not directly. A hold places someone in a designated crisis or psychiatric facility. Many people then agree to voluntary treatment.
Is a 5150 an arrest?
No. A 5150 is a civil health hold, not a criminal arrest.
What Changed in 2026: SB 43 Explained
Senate Bill 43 was signed into law in October 2023. It updated California’s Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act, the law that governs involuntary holds and conservatorships, for the first time in more than 50 years. Counties could delay it, and Los Angeles County began using it on January 1, 2026.
SB 43 changed the meaning of “gravely disabled” in two ways:
CHANGE 1
Severe substance use disorder now counts on its own
Before SB 43, a person generally needed a mental health disorder to qualify. Now a severe substance use disorder, or a mental health disorder and a severe substance use disorder together, can be the basis for a hold.
CHANGE 2
Personal safety and medical care were added
Grave disability used to mean being unable to provide for food, clothing or shelter. It now also includes being unable to provide for personal safety or necessary medical care.
DEFINITION
What counts as “severe”?
Clinicians use the DSM-5-TR, which lists 11 criteria for a substance use disorder. Six or more criteria means the disorder is severe. Severity is judged separately from intoxication, so a person does not have to be high at that moment to qualify.
Your Legal Options, Step by Step
California law moves in steps. Each one is short, needs new findings and comes with legal safeguards.
OPTION 1
The 5150 Hold (Up to 72 Hours)
A 5150 is named after the section of California’s Welfare and Institutions Code that allows it. A person can be detained for up to 72 hours for evaluation and crisis treatment if, because of a mental health disorder or a severe substance use disorder, they are:
- A danger to themselves
- A danger to others
- Gravely disabled
Who can start one: police officers and LPS-authorized professionals, such as members of a county psychiatric mobile response team or designated facility staff. Families cannot sign a 5150 themselves, but they can call for help and describe what they are seeing.
How families start the process in Los Angeles County
- Immediate danger: call 911
- Mental health or substance use crisis: call or text 988, or the LA County Help Line at 800-854-7771 (24/7), and ask about a mobile crisis team
Write down specific facts before you call: what they used, when they last ate, injuries or medical problems they are ignoring, unsafe places they are staying, threats they have made. Clear examples help the person assessing the situation.
OPTION 2
The 5250 Hold (Up to 14 More Days)
If the facility believes the person still meets the criteria at the end of the 72 hours, staff can certify them for up to 14 more days of intensive treatment under Section 5250. The person has the right to a certification review hearing and to an advocate.
OPTION 3
Additional 30-Day Holds
For people who remain gravely disabled, California law allows further 30-day periods of intensive treatment in some circumstances. Each step requires new findings and comes with legal safeguards.
OPTION 4
LPS Conservatorship
A court-appointed conservator gets the legal authority to make treatment and placement decisions for a person who is gravely disabled. LPS conservatorships last one year and can be renewed. Families cannot start one on their own: it usually begins with a recommendation from the treating facility, after which the county’s public conservator investigates and petitions the court. Family members can share information, attend hearings and, in some cases, be considered to serve as conservator.
OPTION 5
CARE Court
CARE Court is a civil court process that connects people to a treatment plan, housing support and a volunteer supporter. Family members are among the people who can file a CARE petition. Los Angeles County began CARE Court in December 2023.
Important for families dealing with addiction: CARE Court is for adults with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, and since January 1, 2026, bipolar I disorder with psychotic features. Substance use disorder alone does not qualify, and psychosis caused only by current intoxication is excluded.
OPTION 6
Laura’s Law (Assisted Outpatient Treatment)
Laura’s Law allows court-ordered outpatient treatment for adults with a serious mental illness who have a history of hospitalizations or violence and are not engaging in care. Family members can ask the county to evaluate a loved one.
Like CARE Court, it is built around serious mental illness, not addiction alone.
Which Option Fits Your Situation?
Overdose, unresponsive, seizure, threats of violence
Call 911 now
Talking about suicide
Call or text 988
Not eating, living unsafely, refusing urgent medical care because of severe drug or alcohol use
Ask a mobile crisis team about a 5150 under SB 43
Psychosis or schizophrenia plus substance use
Ask about CARE Court or Laura’s Law
Heavy use, but they still manage food, housing and safety
Legal options likely won’t apply. See the family options below.
If legal options don’t apply, start with How to Help a Loved One and Professional Intervention.
What the Law Cannot Do
It helps to know the limits before a crisis:
No “send them to rehab” order
Unlike Florida’s Marchman Act, California has no civil commitment law that lets a family petition a court to place an adult in addiction treatment simply because they need it.
Holds are short
Most people are released within days. Lasting change still depends on what happens next.
You don’t choose the facility
Holds take place in county-designated crisis and psychiatric facilities, not a private rehab of your choice.
Adults have rights
Holds require evidence, are reviewed, and come with hearings and advocates.
Turning a Crisis Into Treatment
The most useful moment is often the end of a hold. Your loved one is safe, clear-headed for a few days and, for once, may be willing to listen.
Vinsent Franke, our founder, saw this with his own son. Max was once held in a hospital under Nevada’s version of these laws after a crisis. His mother visited him every day, and they used that time to talk honestly about what his life could look like. When the hold ended, Max chose to go to treatment.
How to be ready
01
Have a treatment plan waiting
Check insurance and agree an admission plan before the hold ends, so there is no gap.
02
Ask the facility about discharge
With your loved one’s consent, ask the team when discharge is expected and whether they can help with a direct transfer.
03
Arrange transport
Plan who will drive them from the hospital to treatment.
04
Keep the message simple
“We love you. There is a bed ready today. Will you go?”
Our admissions team can often arrange admission quickly once a bed and benefits are confirmed, with medical detox on site. Our admissions team can verify insurance and plan admission with your family before a hold ends. Once they are admitted, see what happens while your loved one is in treatment.
Call 818-869-2112 to plan admission before your loved one is discharged.
If They Still Refuse
Many people refuse treatment at first, and legal options often won’t apply. That does not mean you are out of options:
Professional intervention
A trained interventionist can help your family plan a structured, caring conversation.
CRAFT
Community Reinforcement and Family Training teaches families how to encourage a loved one toward treatment without confrontation.
Your own support
Al-Anon, Nar-Anon and family therapy help you stay steady while you wait.
Preparing to talk to someone you love? Get our free 7-page Family Readiness Checklist, with a conversation planner and emergency card.
Get the ChecklistFrequently Asked Questions
Can you force someone into rehab in California?
Not just because they use drugs or alcohol. California has no law that lets families send an adult to rehab on request. If a severe substance use disorder leaves someone unable to provide for food, clothing, shelter, personal safety or necessary medical care, or makes them a danger to themselves or others, they can be placed on a short involuntary hold for evaluation.
What is SB 43 in California?
SB 43 is a 2023 law that expanded the definition of gravely disabled in California’s LPS Act. It added severe substance use disorder as a basis for involuntary holds and conservatorship, and added inability to provide for personal safety or necessary medical care. Los Angeles County began using it on January 1, 2026.
Can you 5150 someone for drug addiction?
Yes, in some cases. Under SB 43, a person can be placed on a 5150 hold if a severe substance use disorder makes them a danger to themselves or others, or gravely disabled. Drug or alcohol use alone, without those conditions, is not enough.
How long is a 5150 hold in California?
Up to 72 hours. If the person still meets the criteria, they can be certified for up to 14 more days under Section 5250, and in some cases for further 30-day periods, each with legal safeguards.
Can a family member put someone on a 5150?
No. Only police officers and LPS-authorized professionals can place a 5150 hold. Family members can call 911, 988 or the LA County Help Line at 800-854-7771 and describe what they are seeing.
Does CARE Court cover addiction?
Not on its own. CARE Court is for adults with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders or bipolar I disorder with psychotic features. Substance use disorder alone does not qualify.
Can I get conservatorship of an adult with addiction in California?
Possibly, if the person is gravely disabled. Families cannot file an LPS conservatorship on their own; it usually starts with a recommendation from the treating facility, and the county public conservator petitions the court.
What should I do when a 5150 hold ends?
Have a treatment plan ready before discharge: insurance verified, a bed confirmed and transport arranged. Many people are most open to treatment in the hours after a hold. Our admissions team can often arrange admission quickly once a bed and benefits are confirmed.
If It’s an Emergency
If your loved one is unresponsive, having a seizure, struggling to breathe or may have overdosed, call 911 now. If they are talking about suicide, call or text 988. In Los Angeles County, the Help Line at 800-854-7771 is available 24/7. iRely Recovery is not an emergency service.
Plan the Next Step With Us
Whether your loved one is on a hold, just released or still refusing help, our team can talk you through your options and have a plan ready.
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