California transportation laws
What California has enacted on transportation, what each law requires, and what the bills still moving would do. California is one of 41 states that enacted a transportation law in the 2025 and 2026 sessions.
167 new California laws take effect in 2027, 6 on transportation
- Bills in scope
- 30bills in scope
- Past committee
- 24past committee
- Most recent action
- 30 September 2026most recent action
Transportation laws enacted in California
11 transportation laws enacted in the California Legislature in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, newest first. Each links to the legislature's own page.
What it requires: Zero-emission transit buses procured through solicitations issued between January 1, 2027 and December 31, 2031 must not exceed specified curb weight limits on any one axle: 25,000 pounds for 2027, 24,000 pounds for 2028-2029, and 23,000 pounds for 2030-2031. Transit operators operating articulated transit buses must provide annual notice to cities and counties by July 1 identifying routes where buses will operate.
Truck size, weight and road use, Truck and fleet emissions
What it requires: Autonomous vehicle manufacturers must ensure remote drivers and local incident technicians are located in the United States with valid US driver's licenses. Manufacturers must immediately dispatch local incident technicians upon accident notification or emergency official requests. Commercial autonomous vehicles obstructing travel lanes must be relocated within 5 minutes if driveable or 30 minutes if towing is required.
Autonomous trucks and delivery devices
- SB 1213Zero- and near-zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles: incentives: transparency.Takes effect 1 January 2027
What it requires: Beginning January 1, 2027, state agencies administering medium- or heavy-duty vehicle incentive programs must condition vehicle model inclusion on original equipment manufacturers providing manufacturer's suggested retail prices quarterly and receipt of final itemized purchase orders. The state board must compile and publicly post this pricing data every six months.
Truck and fleet emissions
What it requires: A railroad corporation shall install and operate a network of wayside detector systems on or adjacent to any track used by a freight train, with each system including a hot wheel bearing detector and spaced no farther than 10 miles for class I carriers, 25 miles for class II carriers, or 35 miles for class III carriers. Freight trains operating between non-compliant wayside detector systems must not travel faster than 10 miles per hour.
Freight rail
What it requires: Motor carriers, drivers, vehicles, and shippers must comply with federal hazardous materials transportation regulations in 49 CFR Parts 107 and 171-180 relating to highway transportation, unless specifically exempted by department regulations. Designated jurisdictions operating automated traffic enforcement systems must establish programs meeting specified requirements including signage, equipment standards, impact reports, and revenue allocation to traffic-calming measures.
- SB 1008California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: railroad grade crossing closure.Enacted 27 August 2026
What it requires: The closure of a railroad grade crossing by order of the Public Utilities Commission when the commission finds the crossing presents a threat to public safety is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. State agencies must file a notice with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Local agencies must file a notice with the State Clearinghouse and the county clerk in each county where the project is located.
Freight rail
What it does: This resolution urges Congress and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to review federal commercial driver's license disqualification policies and consider reforms allowing greater state flexibility and relief for drivers whose livelihoods are affected.
Motor carriers and commercial drivers
What it requires: Eligible construction contractors must execute a settlement agreement with the Labor Commissioner before January 1, 2029, whereby they agree to reclassify construction drivers as employees, pay all wages, benefits, and taxes owed, maintain converted positions as employee positions, and secure required workers' compensation coverage. Mere vehicle ownership does not make a person an independent contractor. Commercial motor vehicle drivers who own their vehicles are entitled to reimbursement for use, upkeep, and depreciation.
Motor carriers and commercial drivers
What it requires: Manufacturers of autonomous vehicles must submit applications to the Department of Motor Vehicles and obtain approval before operating on public roads. Commencing January 1, 2026, autonomous vehicles may be equipped with ADS marker lamps indicating when automated driving systems are engaged. Commencing January 1, 2030, autonomous vehicles with model year 2031 or later and gross vehicle weight rating under 8,501 pounds must be zero-emission vehicles.
Autonomous trucks and delivery devices
What it requires: Cities and counties must adopt ordinances by January 1, 2028 (or 2030 for smaller jurisdictions) establishing truck routes that avoid residential areas and sensitive receptors. Logistics use development operators must submit truck routing plans before occupancy. Jurisdictions in warehouse concentration regions must update circulation elements by January 1, 2026.
Truck size, weight and road use, Warehouses and delivery
What it does: Amends multiple statutes to modify climate and clean energy programs, including extending EPIC follow-on funding authority to January 1, 2028, increasing Energy Commission chairperson salary by 5% for fiscal years 2025-26 through 2027-28, raising certification fees and deposits for energy facilities, and appropriating $132,175,000 for zero-emission truck and bus incentives.
Transportation in California, by topic
Truck and fleet emissions
10 bills, 2 enacted. Enacted in 3 states.
Motor carriers and commercial drivers
6 bills, 2 enacted. Enacted in 34 states.
Truck size, weight and road use
5 bills, 2 enacted. Enacted in 17 states.
Ports, maritime and freight corridors
5 bills. Enacted in 10 states.
Freight rail
4 bills, 2 enacted. Enacted in 17 states.
Autonomous trucks and delivery devices
4 bills, 2 enacted. Enacted in 8 states.
Warehouses and delivery
1 bill, 1 enacted. Enacted in 5 states.
Transportation bills in California
The bills not yet law, furthest along first, with what each would do.
11Enacted
6Cleared both chambers
7Past committee
6Introduced or inactive
30 bills in scope
Cleared both chambers
6
What it would do: Limits testing under the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program to no more than annually for nongasoline heavy-duty vehicles over 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating that are driven fewer than 1,000 miles per calendar year in California, and requires the state board to adopt implementing rules.
What it would do: Removes the good cause requirement for the Department of Transportation or local authorities to issue special or annual permits for transporting manufactured homes not exceeding 14 feet in width, and clarifies that an annual permit eliminates the need for a special permit.
What it would do: Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, in coordination with other state agencies, to develop a plan by December 31, 2030 for alternative fuel needs of oceangoing vessels at California's public seaports, including identifying infrastructure barriers and forecasting fuel demand.
What it would do: Requires the South Coast Air Quality Management District to ensure that any new emissions reduction rules for the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles include port assessments, timeline extensions, and prohibits cargo throughput caps or automated equipment incentives using public funds. Repeals January 1, 2031.
What it would do: Requires trucking companies and independent contractor truck drivers to provide specified information annually to the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles, and mandates ports publish quarterly information about trucks entering the port beginning January 1, 2027, with civil penalties for non-compliance.
What it would do: Requires the State Air Resources Board to consider the environmental and supply chain benefits of renting medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles compared to procuring them when adopting regulations for the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Fleet Purchasing Assistance Program.
Past committee
7
What it would do: Removes the exemption from the California Private Postsecondary Education Act for institutions providing Class A, B, or C commercial driving license training, except for employer-administered programs at entities employing 250 or more commercial driving license drivers.
What it would do: Amends Vehicle Code Section 38750 to establish traffic citation procedures for autonomous vehicles: citations go to the registered owner or manufacturer for Level 4-5 vehicles operating without drivers or with autonomous technology engaged, to drivers for Level 3 vehicles with autonomous technology engaged (unless court finds technology caused violation), and to drivers when autonomous technology is not engaged.
What it would do: For taxable years beginning January 1, 2026, excludes income from qualifying shipping activities of corporations electing to use federal per-ton rate taxation, and provides special depreciation and nonrecognition of gain rules for qualifying vessels.
What it would do: Creates tax credits for qualified taxpayers operating Class II or Class III railroads or owning rail infrastructure: 50% of qualified shortline railroad expenditures (up to $5,000 per mile owned/leased) for tax years 2027-2031, and 50% of qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures (up to $1,000,000 per project) for tax years 2028-2032, with aggregate annual caps of $7,000,000 and $10,000,000 respectively.
What it would do: Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to verify applicant lawful presence in the United States through the SAVE Program before issuing or renewing a commercial driver's license, and to revoke licenses issued to persons subsequently determined unlawfully present.
What it would do: Amends the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program statute to require the State Air Resources Board to provide its first biennial report by December 31, 2026, instead of within 4 years following full program implementation.
What it would do: Exempts emergency telecommunications vehicles owned by emergency telecommunications service providers from Advanced Clean Fleets Regulations requirements if used for the federal Emergency Alert System, 911 services, or wireless connectivity during outages.
Introduced or inactive
6
What it would do: Extends the expenditure deadline for Short-Line Railroad Improvement Program funds from June 30, 2028 to June 30, 2029, and allows publicly owned railroads to meet the 30% non-governmental funding requirement using private, local, or state/federal funds not allocated by the commission.
What it would do: Prohibits the Department of Motor Vehicles from revoking, suspending, cancelling, or downgrading a commercial driver's license based solely on administrative deficiencies, clerical errors, or changes in domicile interpretation without providing 180 days' written notice and assistance to cure the deficiency, with possible one-time 90-day extension.
What it would do: Requires the Office of Emergency Services to develop and post an action plan by January 1, 2028 for responding to electric commercial motor vehicle battery fires, addressing hazard assessment, safety protocols, wildfire risk reduction, and battery reignition mitigation.
What it would do: Requires the Office of Emergency Services to develop and post an action plan by January 1, 2027 for responding to electric commercial motor vehicle battery fires, addressing hazard assessment, safety protocols, wildfire risk reduction, and battery reignition mitigation.
What it would do: Establishes an Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation Appeals Advisory Committee to review denied exemption requests, requiring monthly public meetings and recommendations within 60 days. Expands emergency vehicle exemptions and modifies daily usage exemption criteria for state and local government fleets.
What it would do: Prohibits autonomous vehicles without human safety operators from delivering commercial goods to residences or businesses in California. Imposes administrative fines of $10,000 for first violations and $25,000 for subsequent violations, and requires a report by January 1, 2031 on autonomous vehicle technology's safety and employment impacts.
Bill titles link to the California Legislature's own page.
What counts as transportation legislation
In scope: Motor carriers and commercial drivers; truck size, weight and road use; truck and fleet emissions; hazardous materials transport; freight rail; ports, maritime and freight corridors; warehouses and delivery; and autonomous trucks and delivery devices.
Questions
Does California have a transportation law?
Yes. California enacted 11 transportation laws in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, among them AB 1944, SB 1246 and SB 1213. Each is listed on this page with what it requires.
When do California's transportation laws take effect?
AB 1944 on 1 January 2027, SB 1246 on 1 January 2027, SB 1213 on 1 January 2027, SB 667 on 1 January 2027 and AB 2788 on 1 January 2027. The others have no single date in their text.
Which transportation bills are moving in California?
13 bills not yet law have passed a committee or a chamber, the furthest along SB 1064 (vetoed), AB 2012 (vetoed) and SB 298 (vetoed).
What does California legislate on most in transportation?
Truck and fleet emissions (10 bills), Motor carriers and commercial drivers (6 bills) and Truck size, weight and road use (5 bills).
Are these summaries reviewed by a lawyer?
No. Which bills count as Transportation bills, and the line on what each law requires or each bill would do, are drafted by software from the bill's own text and not reviewed by an attorney. Every bill links to the legislature's own record: read the text before relying on it. The list covers bills from the 2025 and 2026 sessions.
Other practice areas in California
- AI in California78
- Alcohol in California31
- Cannabis in California18
- Children's Online Safety in California21
- Cybersecurity in California9
- Data center and energy in California16
- Data Privacy in California50
- Employment in California196
- Healthcare in California246
- Insurance in California146
- Intellectual Property in California10
- Packaging and PFAS in California36
- Payments and fintech in California15
- Rental housing in California44
- Tobacco and nicotine in California8
- All jurisdictions
Transportation legislation in other jurisdictions
52 more currently hold bills in this tracker
- Congress101
- New Jersey72
- Texas61
- New York49
- Missouri39
- Iowa34
- Oklahoma33
- Massachusetts30
- Louisiana25
- Illinois24
- Pennsylvania24
- Kentucky21
- Utah21
- Hawaii20
- Mississippi20
- Montana20
- Nebraska19
- Virginia18
- Maryland17
- Washington17
- New Mexico16
- Arizona15
- Tennessee15
- Connecticut14
- West Virginia14
- Minnesota13
- Oregon11
- Florida10
- Michigan10
- Rhode Island10
- South Dakota9
- Arkansas8
- Colorado7
- Georgia7
- Kansas7
- Maine7
- North Carolina7
- Wisconsin7
- South Carolina6
- Alaska5
- District of Columbia5
- Delaware5
- Wyoming5
- Indiana4
- New Hampshire4
- Nevada4
- Vermont4
- Alabama3
- North Dakota3
- Idaho2
- Puerto Rico2
- Ohio1
Know when California's transportation law changes
An alert when a bill moves, and one report a month on what changed in every state and Congress.