The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. State of California with patrol jurisdiction over all California highways. The CHP also acts as the state police.

The CHP was originally created when Governor C. C. Young signed a bill sent to him by the California State Legislature in 1929 mandating its establishment. The bill created a highway patrol agency (within the California Department of Motor Vehicles) to ensure road safety in California. The agency assumed greater responsibility with the passage of time, and was eventually spun off into a separate department by Governor Earl Warren in 1947.

The CHP provides many services, including protecting state buildings and facilities, conducting criminal investigations, and assisting local law enforcement agencies.

The CHP is the largest state police agency in the United States with about 9,900 employees, of whom 6,800 are sworn officers, according to FBI data.