Well folks, we’ve officially made a quarter of the way into the 21st century, and the California government is celebrating by instituting an array of new laws aimed at road users. Governor Gavin Newsom signed hundreds of bills into law during the regular legislative session, plenty of which don’t apply to cars, driving, or road users, but there are some that do, and you’ll probably want to know about them.
We’ll start with the one that requires the most definition: the new daylighting law. This law aims to improve public safety by increasing visibility for drivers, pedestrians and others in crosswalks and intersections. California law currently restricts drivers from stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle in an intersection, on a sidewalk or crosswalk or in front of a fire station. AB 413 expands upon that to prohibit drivers from stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle within 20 feet of any unmarked or marked crosswalk, or within 15 feet of a crosswalk with a curb extension. Local authorities can exempt commercial vehicle loading and unloading, and bicycles or motorized scooters from the rule.
Street takeovers have caused increasing challenges for law enforcement over recent years, and California will crack down on these unsanctioned events with a series of new laws. AB 2807 defines sideshows and states that as of July 1, 2025, the state can suspend the license of anyone who takes part in a sideshow. AB 1978 states that law enforcement can impound the vehicle of anyone who participates in a street takeover, and it can impound any spectator’s vehicles, too. AB 2186 empowers law enforcement to impound vehicles on private streets or in parking lots. AB 3085 empowers law enforcement to impound cars used in street racing, even if the vehicle in question is found later away from the sideshow. The big takeaway here is that if you attend a street takeover in any capacity, the cops can ruin your life in many new and exciting ways.
SB 1107 increases the California state-required minimum insurance liability limits, affecting every single driver in the state. Now, the minimum required insurance limits are $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $60,000 for injury or death to more than one person, and $15,000 damage to property. The previous car insurance requirements were $15,000/$30,000/$5,000 before the new bill significantly increased them.
SB 905 addresses the “locked door loophole,” which previously required car owners to prove that their car doors were locked prior to vandalization in order to convict someone for burglary. Now, car owners are no longer required to prove that their doors were locked at the time of theft. SB 960 states that Caltrans is required to prioritize road improvements for taxpayers.
California has the most registered vehicles of any state in the country with nearly 13.8 million cars. These changes will affect millions of Californian road users, so arm yourself with knowledge and don’t get caught breaking any of these laws. Good luck out there.
