CALIFORNIA STATE – Buying a car. Ordering a drink. Trying to get an actual person to help with a billing problem.
California’s newest laws reach into some surprisingly familiar parts of daily life. There is one catch: the changes arrive on different schedules. One major car-buying protection started this month, while other recently signed laws roll out in 2027 and beyond.
Here are five worth knowing about, and how to actually put them to use.
1. Used-car buyers now have three days to change their minds
A used car can look great on the lot, but when you get it home, you might notice issues you overlooked when a slick salesperson was pitching it to you.
California’s new Combating Auto Retail Scams Act, or SB 766, gives buyers and lessees a three-day cancellation right for qualifying used vehicles priced at $50,000 or less from a dealer. The provisions became operative October 1, 2026.
The three calendar days generally begin the day after the agreement is signed. Drive more than 400 miles, however, and the cancellation right no longer applies.
Returning the vehicle can also cost money. The base restocking fee is 1.5% of the vehicle price, with a $200 minimum and $600 maximum. Driving more than 250 miles can trigger additional mileage charges. Vehicle-condition and return requirements also apply.
The broader law strengthens price disclosures and bans charges for useless add-ons, such as oil-change services for an electric vehicle.
2. Big companies will have to give you a path to human customer service
If you have ever typed “representative” repeatedly into a chatbot or screamed it at an automated phone tree, this one is for you.
AB 1609, signed September 28, takes effect January 1, 2027. It generally covers private businesses with more than $500 million in national gross annual revenue.
During regular customer service hours, covered companies must offer a simple way to request a human. They must make a good-faith effort to connect you within 15 minutes or provide a specific appointment within one business day.
The law also prohibits businesses from presenting a customer service chatbot as human and requires disclosure when someone could reasonably mistake it for a person.
That does not guarantee an immediate answer every time. The law includes exemptions, including certain utility services and hospital communications, and the 15-minute rule does not apply to requests sent by email, webform or voicemail.
Still, it gives customers a clearer route out of an automated conversation that is going nowhere.
3. A company won’t be able to keep certain personal data simply because it got it elsewhere
Deleting your personal information sounds straightforward. California’s privacy regulator says the existing rules contain a significant gap/loophole.
A business can obtain information from another company and retain it even after you submit a deletion request, because the existing deletion right focuses on information collected from you.
The Expanding Privacy Rights Act, SB 923, closes that gap starting January 1, 2027.
For businesses covered by the California Consumer Privacy Act, the expanded right will reach personal information obtained from third parties, too, subject to the law’s exemptions.
Online-only businesses will also have to offer an online request method, such as a webform, rather than providing only an email address.
The practical benefit: a deletion request will cover more of the information a business holds about you, including data you never handed over directly.
4. AI alone won’t be allowed to decide that you should be fired
AI is taking over the workplace, and California is scrambling to enact protections.
SB 947, known as the No Robo Bosses Act, prohibits employers from relying solely on an automated decision system to discipline or terminate an employee. Its requirements begin July 1, 2027.
When an employer primarily relies on such a system, a human must corroborate the decision using the underlying data or other supporting information. If the output cannot be corroborated, or the reviewer finds it inaccurate, incomplete or misleading, it cannot be used for that decision.
Affected employees must receive written notice when the employer primarily relied on an automated system. They can also request a description of their own data used by it.
Employers can continue using AI under the law. But an automated score or recommendation alone will not be enough to justify firing someone.
5. Chain-restaurant drinks are getting added-sugar warnings
A sweet coffee or fountain drink can contain a substantial amount of added sugar. A newly signed California law will make especially sugary options easier to spot.
SB 869 requires covered chain restaurants to flag standard menu drinks containing at least 100% of the FDA’s daily value for added sugar per serving.
The symbol will be a sugar cube inside a black triangle, accompanied by an explanation. The law covers chains with at least 20 locations operating under the same name and offering substantially the same menu items.
The rollout deadline is January 1, 2029 — so do not expect every menu to change this winter.
Warnings must appear directly on drive-through menus. For other menus, restaurants can use physical displays or a qualifying digital option, with an alternative for customers who cannot access it.
The law does not ban those drinks. It gives customers another piece of information before they order.
