These new California driving laws go into effect Jan. 1, 2025

LOS ANGELES - Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, a handful of new laws are going into effect in California - ranging from housing and firearms to education and crime. Among those laws are several that will affect drivers. 

Driver's license 

SB 1100 makes it illegal for a job posting to require applicants to have a valid driver’s license.

In California, driver’s licenses are sometimes a condition of employment, depending on the job. The law addresses discrimination against individuals without driver’s licenses by eliminating this requirement as a condition of employment unless certain requirements are met.

Under the law, an employer can include a statement that an applicant must have a driver’s license only under two conditions - the employer reasonably expects driving to be one of the job functions of the position, and the employer reasonably believes that using an alternative form of transportation would not be comparable in travel time or cost to the employer.

SUGGESTED: New California laws going into effect in 2025

Insurance coverage 

SB 1107 increases the amount of liability insurance coverage an owner or operator of a motor vehicle is required to maintain. 

Beginning Jan. 1, the payout limits increase to: $30,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $60,000 for bodily injury or death of all persons, and $15,000 for damage to the property of others as a result of any one accident. The bill would also increase the deposit to $75,000.

Locked door loophole 

SB 905 eliminates the "locked door loophole," which required prosecutors to prove car doors were locked when a burglary took place. This gives prosecutors more flexibility to address auto burglary and thefts.

Victims of car break-ins can prove the crime of auto burglary by showing forcible entry, which can be charged as either a misdemeanor or felony. A felony conviction would mean a sentence of 16 months to three years.

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Additionally, the bill allows for the prosecution of suspects who resell valuables taken during car break-ins. Anyone holding more than $950 worth of property stolen from a car, whether that person took it themselves, was holding it or selling it, can be prosecuted.

Parking

AB 413 makes it illegal to park within 20 feet of the approach of any marked or unmarked crosswalk, even if the approach does not have any red curbs painted.

This law was passed to improve safety at intersections, especially for pedestrians, and it applies to all crosswalks, whether the crossing is painted or not.

Until AB 413 was signed into law in October 2023, California was one of the few states that did not have a rule restricting parking near crosswalks. Over 40 states currently have laws that require vehicles to keep a distance of generally 20 feet from crosswalks.

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To see a full list of new laws going into effect in 2025, tap or click here.