Cal. Evid. Code § 1401 : CALIFORNIA EVIDENCE CODE — WRITINGS — AUTHENTICATION AND PROOF OF WRITINGS — REQUIREMENT OF AUTHENTICATION — Prerequisite to admission TEXT PDF (a) Authentication of a writing is required before it may be received in evidence. (b) Authentication of a writing is required before secondary evidence of its content may be received in evidence. Ca. Evid. Code § 1401 Enacted by Stats. 1965, Ch. 299.