Paul Pelosi Charged With Misdemeanor Hit-and-Run in Napa County

A criminal charge against the spouse of a former House Speaker places California state law and the conduct of a prominent political family under public legal scrutiny.

Paul Pelosi, 86, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was charged Friday with a misdemeanor hit-and-run by the Napa County District Attorney's Office, according to a report by The Hill published July 18, 2026. The charge follows an alleged incident in which Pelosi reportedly struck an unoccupied parked vehicle and left the scene without stopping.

Pelosi faces charges under a California state law that requires any driver involved in a collision resulting in property damage to stop at the scene and provide their driver's license and vehicle registration information to the other party or a law enforcement officer, according to the Napa County District Attorney's Office as cited by The Hill. A second charge of making an unlawful action was also filed, though the full text of that second count was not available in the source material reviewed.

The Napa County District Attorney's Office is the prosecuting authority on record. Misdemeanor hit-and-run convictions in California can carry penalties including fines and potential jail time under California Vehicle Code Section 20002, though the specific penalties sought by prosecutors in this case were not stated in available public records as of this report.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office had not issued a public statement as of the time of this report. The U.S. House of Representatives has no formal role in state criminal proceedings against private citizens. Paul Pelosi holds no current federal office or appointment.

Several facts remain unknown from publicly available records: the date and precise location of the alleged incident, the identity and any statement from the owner of the damaged vehicle, and the scheduled arraignment date. The Napa County Superior Court docket for this matter, once filed, would be the public record that would answer those questions. The full charging document from the Napa County District Attorney's Office would also specify both counts in complete statutory language.