California will significantly strengthen penalties for various traffic violations, including speeding and drunk driving, starting in the new year. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have announced a series of new traffic laws that will take effect on January 1, 2026, urging drivers to be especially careful. These bills, which passed the state legislature in 2024 and were signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, are aimed at enhancing road safety and establishing traffic order.
■ Strengthening Speed Enforcement
First, speed enforcement will be significantly strengthened. CHP will introduce a pilot program using fixed or mobile radar and laser devices to monitor speeds in highway construction zones. Violators will receive notices by mail, and an appeals process will be established. The State Department of Transportation has also authorized to lower speed limits on freeways by 5 miles per hour. Warnings will be issued for the first 30 days. School zone speed limits can also be lowered from 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour, and after 2031, these limits will be automatically applied as soon as signs are installed.
■ Strengthening Penalties for Drunk Driving Punishments for drunk driving (DUI) will also be strengthened.
Under AB 366, which passed the state legislature, the DMV has extended through 2033 a program requiring DUI offenders to install an ignition interlock device (IID). This device prevents the vehicle from starting when blood alcohol is detected and is intended to prevent repeat offenses.
AB 1087, which takes effect in the new year, increases the probation period for drunk driving convictions that result in a fatal accident from two years to a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years. This significantly increases the penalties for serious DUI crimes.
■ Crackdown on license plate obscuration begins in earnest.
Crackdowns on devices that obscure or manipulate license plates will also begin in earnest. Under the new law, the manufacture, sale, and use of any device that obscures license plate identification, such as license plate flippers, tinted or shading covers, will be completely prohibited. Violators face fines of up to $250, and manufacturers and sellers face fines of up to $1,000. This measure aims to close loopholes that have been exploited for toll evasion, vehicle theft, and robbery.
■ Expansion of red-light enforcement cameras.
Additionally, red light enforcement cameras will be expanded. SB 720 allows cities and counties to operate alternative automated speed camera programs, which is expected to lead to a rise in the installation of unmanned cameras. The “slow down, move over” law, which requires stopped vehicles to change lanes or slow down when they display hazard lights, cones, or flares, will also be expanded. Electric bicycles operated by unlicensed drivers or minors under 16 at high speeds will now be confiscated.
■ Permitting the towing of abandoned RVs:
AB 630 allows public agencies to tow and dispose of abandoned RVs that are inoperable in Los Angeles and Alameda counties until January 1, 2030. Eligible vehicles are limited to vehicles with an assessed value of $4,000 or less.SB 480 allows autonomous vehicles to be equipped with indicator lights to indicate whether their automated driving system (ADS) is engaged. These indicators serve to alert other drivers, pedestrians, and law enforcement that the vehicle is autonomous.
The CHP and DMV emphasized that this is a “comprehensive safety measure that goes beyond increased enforcement to reduce traffic fatalities,” and that “drivers should be aware of and comply with the new regulations.”