What is the Victim Compensation Program (VCP)?

The Victim Compensation Program (VCP) can help victims of violent crime and their families deal with the emotional, physical, and financial aftermath of crime. Victims can apply for compensation by filing an application with the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board (Board), which administers the VCP.

Who is eligible for compensation?

To be eligible for compensation, a person must be a victim of a qualifying crime involving physical injury, threat of physical injury or death. For certain crimes, emotional injury alone is all that needs to be shown. Certain family members or other loved ones who suffer an economic loss resulting from an injury to, or death of, a victim of a crime may also be eligible for compensation.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements. The victim must:

• Have been a California resident when the crime occurred, or the crime must have occurred in California.


• Cooperate reasonably with police and court officials to arrest and prosecute the offender.


• Cooperate with VCP staff to verify the application.


• Not have been involved in events leading to the crime or have participated in the crime.


• File the application within one year of the crime, one year after the direct victim turns 18 years of age, or one year from when the crime could have been discovered, whichever is later. Applications may also be accepted after these filing periods under certain circumstances.

Applications may be filed by:

• A person who is physically injured or threatened with physical injury as a result of a crime or act of terrorism that occurred in the State of California.
• A California resident or member of the military stationed in California who is a victim of a qualifying crime, wherever it occurs.
• An eligible family member or other specified persons who were legally dependent on the victim.
• A parent, sibling, spouse, or child of the victim.
• The fiancé(e) of the victim at the time of the crime or another family member of the victim who witnessed the crime.
• A grandparent or grandchild of the victim at the time of the crime, or a person living with the victim at the time of the crime, or who had previously lived with the victim for at least two years in a relationship similar to a parent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, child, or grandchild of the victim.
• A minor who witnesses a crime of domestic violence or who resides in a home where domestic violence occurs.
• Anyone who pays or assumes legal liability for a deceased victim's medical, funeral, or burial expenses, or anyone who pays for the costs of crime scene clean-up for a homicide that occurred in a residence.
• A person who is the primary caretaker of a minor victim when treatment is rendered.

Who is not eligible?

• Persons who commit the crime.
• Persons who knowingly and willingly participated in or were involved in the events leading to the crime; some exceptions may be raised.
• Persons who do not cooperate reasonably with a law enforcement agency in the apprehension and conviction of a criminal committing the crime; some exceptions may be considered.
• A person who is convicted of a felony may not be granted compensation until that person has been discharged from probation or has been released from a correctional institution and has been discharged from probation or parole, if any. The time for filing an application is still one year from the date the crime occurred.

What are examples of crimes that are typically covered?

• Assault with a deadly weapon
• Battery (when there is injury or threat of injury)
• Child abuse
• Child sexual assault
• Child endangerment and abandonment
• Domestic violence
• Driving under the influence
• Hit and run
• Vehicular manslaughter
• Murder
• Robbery
• Sexual assault
• Stalking
• Sexual battery
• Unlawful sexual intercourse (where there is injury or threat of injury)
• Terrorism
• Other crimes that result in physical injury or a threat of physical injury to the victim