California WIC 5150 Practice Test 2026 - Free Practice Questions and WIC 5150 Study Guide

A 5250 hearing is the due-process review that decides whether continued involuntary treatment is needed after a 5250 hold. In California, after an initial 72-hour hold (5150), a person can be kept for up to 14 more days under a 5250 hold if they still pose a danger to themselves or cannot care for basic needs. The hearing at the end of that period evaluates whether that involuntary treatment should continue, be modified, or end. It’s not a decision about leaving immediately—that’s discharge planning—and it isn’t specifically about forcing medication (though med decisions can be part of the treatment if the hold continues). It’s also not the process for reviewing civil commitment after an 5150; the 5250 hearing focuses on the ongoing need for involuntary treatment after the 5250 hold.