Codes are divided and subdivided by topic and eventually broken down into sections, each of which are numbered. The code name abbreviation and section number are both included in a California code citation. The § symbol is always placed before the actual section number.
For example, Cal. Civ. Code § 1000 refers to section 1000 of the California Civil Code. The version of the code being cited to as well as the publication year of the volume containing the code section are often included in parentheses at the end of the citation (e.g., Cal. Civ. Code § 1000 (West 2006)).