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CaliforniaSB 262025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Civil actions: restitution for or replacement of a new motor vehicle.

Sponsored By: Thomas Umberg (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.

Fast fixes can block civil penalties

Beginning July 1, 2025, you cannot get civil penalties if the maker offers a buyback or replacement within 30 days of getting your notice and finishes it within 60 days. The offer must include the required buyback amount and, if you have a lawyer, reasonable attorney fees and costs. If you sell the car as allowed after giving notice, you cannot get penalties unless, before the sale, you gave the buyer written notice of your claim and any pending case. You may file a case for a buyback or replacement without giving the 30‑day notice, but you must have the car when you file and you cannot ask for civil penalties in that case. Pre‑lawsuit disputes over attorney fees and costs go to neutral, binding arbitration, and a fee fight alone does not make a maker’s offer invalid.

New steps before lemon-law penalty suits

Beginning July 1, 2025, you must give the maker a 30‑day written notice before suing for civil penalties. The notice must include your name, VIN, a short repair history, and a demand to buy back or replace the car. Send it by email to the address on the maker’s website or by certified or registered mail to the address in the manual or warranty; makers must provide this contact info in English and Spanish. You must have the car when you send the notice, and you must keep it at least 30 days after the maker gets the notice. If the maker offers within 30 days, you must keep the car for 60 days after the maker got the notice. You must act in good faith and provide reasonable documents the maker needs to finish the buyback or replacement. Small mistakes in your notice alone do not block your penalty claim.

Process applies only to opted-in makers

This law covers lemon buyback or replacement cases only if the car maker chooses this process. A maker can opt in for five calendar years at a time by telling the state program by October 31 of the prior year. That choice cannot be changed during those five years. Within 30 days after the law takes effect, a maker can also opt in for vehicles sold in 2025 and earlier. If a maker does not opt in, these rules do not apply to that maker’s vehicles for those years. When you buy a new car, the maker must tell you at sale which set of rules applies to your vehicle.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Thomas Umberg

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Ash Kalra

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 177 • No: 2

House vote • 4/1/2025

Item 37 — Assembly AFLOOR

Yes: 77 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/1/2025

Item 39 — Senate SFLOOR

Yes: 38 • No: 1

legislature vote • 3/26/2025

Vote in CX13

Yes: 9 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/13/2025

Item 24 — Senate SFLOOR

Yes: 35 • No: 0

legislature vote • 3/3/2025

Vote in CS42

Yes: 8 • No: 0

legislature vote • 2/11/2025

Vote in CS53

Yes: 10 • No: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 1, Statutes of 2025.

    4/2/2025Senate

  2. Approved by the Governor.

    4/2/2025legislature

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

    4/1/2025legislature

  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 38. Noes 1. Page 604.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

    4/1/2025Senate

  5. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

    4/1/2025Senate

  6. Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 948.) Ordered to the Senate.

    4/1/2025House

  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    3/27/2025House

  8. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 26).

    3/26/2025House

  9. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    3/24/2025House

  10. Referred to Com. on JUD.

    3/24/2025House

  11. Joint Rule 62(a) suspended.

    3/24/2025House

  12. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    3/13/2025House

  13. Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 35. Noes 0. Page 364.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    3/13/2025Senate

  14. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    3/10/2025Senate

  15. From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

    3/6/2025Senate

  16. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    3/4/2025Senate

  17. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 304.) (March 3).

    3/3/2025Senate

  18. Set for hearing March 3.

    2/28/2025Senate

  19. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on B. P. & E.D. (Ayes 10. Noes 1. Page 176.) (February 11). Re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.

    2/11/2025Senate

  20. Set for hearing February 11.

    2/3/2025Senate

  21. Referred to Coms. on JUD. and B. P. & E.D.

    1/29/2025Senate

  22. From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 2.

    12/3/2024Senate

  23. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

    12/2/2024Senate

Bill Text

  • Chaptered

    4/2/2025

    HTML

  • Enrolled

    4/1/2025

    HTML

  • Amended Assembly

    3/24/2025

    HTML

  • Amended Senate

    3/4/2025

    HTML

  • Introduced

    12/2/2024

    HTML

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