Assembly BillIntroducedBusiness and Professions
AB 1605: Driving under the influence: alcohol sales.
What AB 1605 does, verified June 8, 2026
This bill requires everyone who sells or furnishes alcoholic beverages to review a form of written identification issued by the state or another state before selling. A court can prohibit a person from purchasing alcohol when granting probation for certain driving under the influence offenses, including those that occurred within 10 years of two or more convictions. The court can also prohibit the purchase of alcohol for people with prior convictions for vehicular manslaughter. Sellers of alcoholic beverages are required to refuse to sell or serve someone subject to such an order. The state will reimburse local agencies and school districts for costs mandated by the state if the commission determines that the bill contains such costs.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: In committee: Held under submission. (2026-05-14)Alert me
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| May. 14, 2026 | In committee: Held under submission. |
| May. 14, 2026 | Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 5030.) |
| May. 13, 2026 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. |
| Apr. 29, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Apr. 28, 2026 | Read second time and amended. |
Latest bill textAmended version, April 28, 2026 · 1,423 words
| Amended IN Assembly April 28, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly March 26, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly March 16, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly March 09, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1605
| Introduced by Assembly Member Ransom (Principal coauthor: Senator Menjivar) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alanis, Ávila Farías, Bennett, Ellis, Jackson, Petrie-Norris, Michelle Rodriguez, and Stefani) (Coauthors: Senators McNerney and Rubio) |
January 20, 2026 |
An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 25659 of, and to add Sections 25655 and 25657.5 to, the Business and Professions Code, and to add Sections 13353.9 and 23600.5 to the Vehicle Code, relating to crimes.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1605, as amended, Ransom. Driving under the influence: alcohol sales.
Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, provides for the issuance, suspension, revocation, and conditions upon licensure for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages. Existing law makes every person who sells, furnishes, gives, or causes to be sold, furnished or given away any alcoholic beverage to any person under 21 years of age guilty of a misdemeanor.
Existing law also makes it unlawful for a person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or the combined influence of both, to drive a vehicle and requires a court, when granting probation following conviction of a driving under the influence offense, to impose certain terms and conditions, including that the individual not drive a vehicle with any measurable amount of alcohol in their blood, among others.
This bill would require everyone who sells or furnishes alcoholic beverages to first review a form of written identification issued by this state or another state. bona fide evidence of majority and identity, as described. The bill would authorize a court when granting probation for certain driving under the influence offenses to prohibit the person from purchasing alcohol and would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue an identification card or driver’s license with an appropriate designation on the face upon the receipt of an abstract of the record of a court. The bill would authorize the court to prohibit the purchase of alcohol when the offense occurred within 10 years of 2 or more driving under the influence offenses that resulted in conviction or certain other prior convictions, or if the conviction was for vehicular manslaughter, as specified. The bill would require a seller of alcoholic beverages to refuse to sell or serve someone subject to such an order.
To the extent this bill would require a higher level of service from court staff who are county employees, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 25655 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:25655.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, every person who sells, furnishes, gives away, or causes to be sold, furnished, or given away any alcoholic beverage shall request and review(b) Notwithstanding Section 25617, a violation of this section is not a crime.
(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2028.
SEC. 2.
Section 25657.5 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:25657.5.
(a) No person shall sell, furnish, give away, or cause to be sold, furnished, or given away any alcoholic beverage to a person who provides an identification card or driver’s license issued pursuant to Section 13353.9 of the Vehicle Code.(b) Notwithstanding Section 25617, a violation of this section is not a crime.
(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2028.
SEC. 3.
Section 25659 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:25659.
(a) For the purpose of preventing the violation of Section 25658, a licensee, or their agent or employee, shall refuse to sell or serve alcoholic beverages to a person who is unable to produce adequate written evidence that the person is over 21 years of age. A licensee, or their agent or employee, may seize any identification presented by a person that shows the person to be under 21 years of age or that is false, so long as a receipt is given to the person from whom the identification is seized and the seized identification is given within 24 hours of seizure to the local law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the licensed premises. A licensee’s, or their agent’s or employees’, decision to not seize a license shall not create any civil or criminal liability.(b) Notwithstanding Section 25617 and except as provided in Section 25658, a violation of this section is not a crime.
(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2028, and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 4.
Section 25659 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:25659.
(a) For the purpose of preventing the violation of Section 25658, a licensee, or their agent or employee, shall refuse to sell or serve alcoholic beverages to a person who is unable to produce adequate written evidence that the person is over 21 years of age. A licensee, or their agent or employee, may seize any identification presented by a person that shows the person to be under 21 years of age or that is false, so long as a receipt is given to the person from whom the identification is seized and the seized identification is given within 24 hours of seizure to the local law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the licensed premises. A licensee’s, or their agent’s or employees’, decision to not seize a license shall not create any civil or criminal liability.(b) For the purpose of preventing a violation of Section 25657.5, a licensee of their agent or employee shall refuse to sell or serve alcoholic beverages to a person who provides an identification card or driver’s license issued pursuant to Section 13353.9 of the Vehicle Code.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 25617 and except as provided in Section 25658, a violation of this section is not a crime.
(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2028.
SEC. 5.
Section 13353.9 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:13353.9.
(a) The department shall issue an identification card or a driver’s license with the words “NO ALCOHOL SALES” or another appropriate designation on the face of the identification card or driver’s license for an individual who has submitted an application and for whom the court department has received an abstract of the record of a court showing that the court has issued orders pursuant to Section 23600.5.(b) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2028.
SEC. 6.
Section 23600.5 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:23600.5.
(a) A court may prohibit a person convicted of a violation of Section 23152 punishable pursuant to Section 23550 or 23550.5, a violation of Section 23153 punishable pursuant to Section 23550.5 or 23566, or a violation of subdivision (a) of Section 191.5 of the Penal Code, who is granted probation from purchasing alcohol for a period not exceeding the entire probationary period, as a term and condition of probation.(b) After issuing an order pursuant to this section, the court shall ensure that the physical copies of the person’s driver’s license or identification card are forfeited or surrendered to law enforcement.
(c) The court shall impose a fee to cover the costs of the Department of Motor Vehicles in issuing a replacement identification card or driver’s license. An individual with an income of less than 200 percent of the official federal poverty level is eligible to pay this fee on a payment plan.
(d) The Judicial Council shall work with the Department of Motor Vehicles regarding the implementation of this section.
(e) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2028.
SEC. 7.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.Text of AB 1605 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions