New California laws in 2025: Here’s what to know

FILE PHOTO (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada)

LOS ANGELES – Hundreds of bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom are set to take effect in California in 2025.

The list of new laws, most of which take effect Wednesday, include cracking down on retail theft, barring parking near crosswalks, a ban on book bans and new designations for official state animals.

Detailed information about laws taking effect in California in 2025 can be found here.

Here is a sampling (laws take effect Jan. 1 unless otherwise noted):

Parking Enforcement
— AB 413, the “daylighting” law. For increased visibility of pedestrians and other objects in the road, drivers are not allowed to park within 20 feet of a crosswalk, whether it’s marked or unmarked. Violators face a $40 fine for parking on unmarked curbs near crosswalks, or $108 for parking on curbs that are painted red.

Retail Theft
— AB 2943. It will be a felony to possess over $950 of items obtained through retail theft with the intention to resell, while SB 905 makes breaking into vehicles to steal property valued at $950 or more a felony.

Child Protection
–SB 1414. Purchasing or soliciting a child 15 years or younger for sex, previously a misdemeanor, will now be a felony.
— AB 1955. Prohibits school districts from creating policies that require teachers to inform parents if their child identifies as transgender or requests to be identified by a different name or pronoun at school.
— AB 1394. Allows child sex exploitation survivors to sue social media platforms for app features that lead to harm against them.

Book Bans
— AB 1078, the California Freedom To Read Act. Requires public libraries to maintain a publicly accessible collection development policy guiding the selection of materials, while establishing a process for community members to share their concerns. It prohibits banning books because of the race, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status or political affiliation of a book’s subject, author or intended audience. It would also allow the public to request that materials offering “diverse perspectives,” including LGBTQ perspectives, to be reconsidered for inclusion in the library’s collection.

Drug Laws
— AB 1775. Legalizes cannabis cafes while affording cities and counties the ability to allow businesses to expand themselves to sell non-cannabis and non-alcoholic products. Retailers will also be allowed to hold live performances.

Housing
— AB 2347. Extends the amount of time someone has to respond to an eviction notice from five to 10 days.

College Admissions
— AB 1780. Beginning in September, private universities and colleges will be barred from making admissions decisions based on an applicant’s relationship to a donor or alumnus.

Consumer Protection
— AB 2863. It will be illegal for companies to automatically renew a subscription without alerting the customer “in a clear and conspicuous manner” of the terms. A company will now need to get a person’s “express affirmative consent to the automatic renewal.”

Fertility Treatments
— SB 729. Starting in July, employers who provide at least 100 workers with health insurance benefits will be required to provide coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment.

State Wildlife
— AB 1797. Makes the Dungeness crab the official California crustacean.
— AB 1850. Makes the banana slug the state’s official slug.
— AB 2504. Makes the Black abalone the state’s official seashell. (CNS)