Which AI laws are in force in California?
Four California AI statutes carry most of the compliance weight today. SB 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, governs developers of the largest models and took effect January 1, 2026 (FPF). SB 243 regulates companion chatbots and also took effect January 1, 2026, with annual reports due from July 1, 2027 (Skadden). AB 2013 requires developers of generative AI systems offered in California to publish a high-level summary of their training data and has applied since January 1, 2026 (Technology News Day report on xAI v. Bonta). The AI Transparency Act, built on SB 942, has required provenance disclosures in AI-generated image, video and audio since August 2, 2026 (Morgan Lewis).
Many more are enacted but not yet operative. In the 2026 session the legislature sent more than 30 AI bills to the governor and California enacted more than two dozen, according to Latham & Watkins; most take effect January 1 or July 1, 2027. The governor's office lists the September 30, 2026 package in its release, and Manatt's 2026 roundup sets out what passed and what was vetoed.
California AI laws at a glance
Status is as of November 9, 2026. Dates come from the sources linked in each section below.
| Law | Bill | Signed | Effective | Covers | Enforced by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transparency in Frontier AI Act | SB 53 | Sept. 29, 2025 | Jan. 1, 2026 | Frontier model developers | Attorney General |
| Companion chatbots | SB 243 | Oct. 13, 2025 | Jan. 1, 2026 (reports July 1, 2027) | Companion chatbot operators | Private right of action |
| Training data transparency | AB 2013 | 2024 | Jan. 1, 2026 | GenAI developers | Attorney General (Unfair Competition Law) |
| California AI Transparency Act | SB 942, AB 853, SB 1000 | Sept. 19, 2024; Oct. 13, 2025; Sept. 30, 2026 | Aug. 2, 2026; platforms Jan. 1, 2027; devices Jan. 1, 2028 | GenAI providers, platforms, device makers | Attorney General, city attorneys, county counsel |
| Adam's Law (child safety) | SB 1119 | 2026 | Core duties July 1, 2027 | Companion chatbot operators | Public prosecutors; private action for harmed children |
| Chatbot toy moratorium | SB 867 | 2026 | Jan. 1, 2027 to Jan. 1, 2031 | Toy makers and sellers | Public prosecutors |
| No Robo Bosses Act | SB 947 | 2026 | July 1, 2027 | Employers using automated decision systems | Civil penalties |
| Customer service chatbots | AB 1609 | 2026 | Jan. 1, 2027 | Businesses over $500M revenue | Public prosecutors |
| Safety and Innovation for AI Models | SB 1047 | Vetoed Sept. 29, 2024 | |||
| No Robo Bosses Act (first version) | SB 7 | Vetoed 2025 | |||
Frontier AI: SB 53
SB 53, by Senator Scott Wiener, was signed September 29, 2025 (governor's release). It applies to developers that trained a foundation model with more than 10^26 operations. All such developers must publish a transparency report before deploying a new or substantially modified frontier model and report critical safety incidents to the Office of Emergency Services within 15 days, or 24 hours where there is imminent danger of death or serious injury. Developers with over $500 million in annual revenue must also publish a frontier AI framework. Whistleblowers are protected, and the Attorney General can seek up to $1 million per violation (FPF).
SB 53 replaced the approach of SB 1047, which the governor vetoed in 2024. Our full explainer covers thresholds, deadlines and the comparison with New York's RAISE Act.
Companion chatbots: SB 243
SB 243, signed October 13, 2025, regulates operators that make companion chatbots available in California: AI systems that give adaptive, human-like responses and can sustain a relationship across interactions. Customer service bots, game-limited bots and some voice assistants are excluded (Skadden).
Operators must disclose that the chatbot is AI where a reasonable person could be misled, remind known minors at least every three hours that they are talking to AI and should take a break, maintain and publish protocols to prevent suicide and self-harm content and refer users to crisis services, and block sexually explicit content for known minors. From July 1, 2027, operators report annually to the Office of Suicide Prevention. A person injured by a violation may sue for injunctive relief, damages of at least $1,000 per violation or actual damages, and attorney fees (Skadden).
In 2026 California layered SB 1119, known as Adam's Law, on top: risk assessments before release, crisis protocols, parental controls and default limits for child users, with core duties from July 1, 2027 and independent child safety audits from January 1, 2029 (Manatt; Latham). SB 867 bans the sale of toys that include a companion chatbot from January 1, 2027 until January 1, 2031.
AI transparency: SB 942 and AB 853
SB 942, signed September 19, 2024 (release), requires generative AI providers to embed latent provenance data in AI-generated image, video and audio, and to offer a free tool to check it. AB 853, signed October 13, 2025, pushed the start to August 2, 2026 and added duties for large online platforms and GenAI hosting platforms from January 1, 2027 and capture device makers from January 1, 2028 (Orrick).
SB 1000, signed September 30, 2026 and effective immediately, removed the original one million monthly user threshold, so any provider of a publicly accessible GenAI system in California is now covered, and dropped the optional visible manifest disclosure (Latham). Penalties are $5,000 per violation, with each day a separate violation (Morgan Lewis). The act does not apply to AI-generated text.
Training data: AB 2013
AB 2013 requires developers of generative AI systems made available in California to post documentation summarizing the datasets used to train them. It took effect January 1, 2026 and does not require release of the data itself (Technology News Day).
xAI sued to block the law in xAI v. Bonta in the Central District of California. The court denied a preliminary injunction in early 2026, finding the law likely consistent with the First Amendment and not unconstitutionally vague, according to reporting by Technology News Day and analysis by the IAPP. That was a preliminary ruling; the underlying case continues.
Other California AI bills
SB 7
SB 7, the first No Robo Bosses Act, would have limited employers' use of automated decision systems. The governor vetoed it in 2025. In 2026 he signed a narrower successor, SB 947, which bars employers from relying solely on an automated decision system for discipline or termination, requires human corroboration where the system's output is the primary basis, and requires post-use notice to the worker. It takes effect July 1, 2027 with civil penalties of $500 per violation (Manatt).
AB 1018
AB 1018, the Automated Decisions Safety Act, passed the Assembly on June 2, 2025 and was moved to the Senate inactive file as a two-year bill. Its LegiScan history shows it taken from the inactive file and returned to third reading in August 2026. It does not appear among the AI bills signed in the governor's September 30, 2026 release or in the passed-bill lists of Manatt and Latham, and we have not found a report that it was enacted. Treat it as not law as of November 9, 2026.
SB 1047, vetoed
SB 1047, the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act, would have required pre-training safety measures, a shutdown capability and third-party audits for the largest models. Governor Newsom vetoed it on September 29, 2024 (veto message). Our SB 1047 page covers the bill, the veto and the debate it started; SB 53 is its successor.
Other 2026 enactments
The 2026 session also produced AB 1609 (customer service chatbots at businesses with over $500 million in revenue must not pose as human and must offer a path to a human agent), SB 813 and AB 1405 (a framework for independent AI verification organizations and a registry of AI auditors), SB 1050 and SB 1111 (synthetic performers in ads and digital replica rights), and AB 1979 and SB 503 (AI in clinical care) (Manatt). Deepfake and digital replica rules are covered in our voice and likeness analysis.
Businesses using AI in California already face four main laws: SB 53 on frontier AI, SB 243 on companion chatbots and AB 2013 on training data, all in force since January 1, 2026, plus the AI Transparency Act, operative August 2, 2026. The next wave starts in 2027, including platform provenance duties on January 1 and the No Robo Bosses Act on July 1. The Attorney General is the main enforcer.
What changed
- 2026-09-30: Governor signed SB 1000 (AI Transparency Act amendments, effective immediately), SB 947, AB 2713 and other AI bills.
- 2026-09-18: Executive Order N-9-26 on frontier AI safety issued.
- 2026-08-02: AI Transparency Act provider duties became operative.
- 2026-01-01: SB 53, SB 243 and AB 2013 took effect.
- 2025-10-13: SB 243 and AB 853 signed; SB 7 vetoed in 2025.
- 2025-09-29: SB 53 signed.
- 2024-09-29: SB 1047 vetoed.
Frequently asked questions
What AI laws does California have?
The main ones in force are SB 53 (frontier AI safety), SB 243 (companion chatbots), AB 2013 (training data disclosure) and the AI Transparency Act (SB 942, amended by AB 853 and SB 1000). More than two dozen 2026 laws, including SB 1119 and SB 947, start in 2027.
When did California's AI laws take effect?
SB 53, SB 243 and AB 2013 took effect January 1, 2026. The AI Transparency Act became operative August 2, 2026. Most 2026 enactments start January 1 or July 1, 2027.
What is the California AI Act?
California has no single statute called the California AI Act. The name is used loosely for SB 53, the frontier AI law, or for the California AI Transparency Act (SB 942). Earlier, SB 1047 was often called the California AI safety bill; it was vetoed in 2024.
Did California pass SB 7 or AB 1018?
No. SB 7 was vetoed in 2025, and a narrower version passed in 2026 as SB 947. AB 1018 was revived in the Senate in August 2026, but we have found no record that it was enacted as of November 9, 2026.
Sources
- Office of the Governor: AI bills signed Sept. 30, 2026
- Office of the Governor: SB 53 signed (Sept. 29, 2025)
- Office of the Governor: SB 942 signed (Sept. 19, 2024)
- Office of the Governor: SB 1047 veto message
- California Legislative Information: SB 243
- Future of Privacy Forum: SB 53 explained
- Skadden: California companion chatbot law
- Latham & Watkins: Newest slate of California AI laws (Oct. 5, 2026)
- Manatt: California Privacy and AI Roundup 2026
- Morgan Lewis: California AI disclosure rules become operative
- LegiScan: CA AB 1018 history
- IAPP: xAI v. Bonta
This page is journalism and commentary, not legal advice. AI law changes quickly; check the primary sources above and consult qualified counsel for your situation.