AB 1640: California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act.
What AB 1640 does, verified September 29, 2026
<p>This bill aims to regulate the resale of restaurant reservations to prevent unfair practices and protect consumers. It prohibits individuals from selling or transferring reservations for a higher price than they paid, with certain exceptions.</p> <p>The bill allows the attorney general, county counsel, or city attorney to recover civil penalties for violations, with the collected funds being deposited into a state treasury fund for use in enforcing the act.</p> <p>The purpose of the fund is to prevent price gouging and ensure fair competition in the restaurant reservation market.</p>
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
✓Second ChamberComplete
✓GovernorComplete
6ChapteredCurrent
Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 475, Statutes of 2026. (2026-09-27)Alert me
Quick answers about AB 1640
- What is the current status of AB 1640?
- As of September 29, 2026, AB 1640 is recorded as "Chaptered/Signed": it has been signed by the Governor and chaptered into law. The last recorded action, on September 27, 2026, was "Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 475, Statutes of 2026".
- Did AB 1640 pass?
- Yes. AB 1640 passed both houses and was signed into law (last action September 27, 2026). Most California bills signed in a given year take effect on January 1 of the following year, unless the bill carries an urgency clause or sets its own operative date.
- Who wrote AB 1640, and where is it now?
- AB 1640 was authored by Asm. Catherine Stefani with 3 coauthors. It is filed under Business and Professions, alongside 362 other California Business and Professions bills this session.
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions29 total · showing 5
| Sep. 27, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 475, Statutes of 2026. |
| Sep. 27, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 08, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 28, 2026 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6791.). |
| Aug. 27, 2026 | In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, September 27, 2026 · 557 words
Assembly Bill No. 1640
CHAPTER 475
An act to add Chapter 22.4.5 (commencing with Section 22599.7) to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to business.
[ Approved by Governor September 27, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State September 27, 2026. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1640, Stefani. California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act.
Existing law regulates various businesses to preserve and regulate competition and prohibit unfair practices, among other purposes. Existing law imposes various business practice restrictions on a food delivery platform, defined as an online business that acts as an intermediary between consumers and multiple food facilities to submit food orders from a consumer to a participating food facility, and to arrange for the delivery of the order from the food facility to the consumer. Existing law prohibits a food delivery platform from arranging the delivery of an order from a food facility without first obtaining an agreement with the food facility expressly authorizing the platform to take orders and deliver meals, as prescribed.
This bill would prohibit a person from selling or transferring, or facilitating the sale or transfer of, a reservation for a restaurant, as defined, for an amount higher than that person paid to acquire the reservation, except as specified.
The bill would authorize the Attorney General, any county counsel or city attorney, and an individual or entity who suffers actual harm as a result of a violation of the act to recover specified civil penalties. The bill would require a civil penalty recovered by the Attorney General pursuant to the act to be deposited in the Public Rights Law Enforcement Special Fund.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 22.4.5 (commencing with Section 22599.7) is added to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, to read:CHAPTER 22.4.5. California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act
22599.7.
This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act.22599.8.
For purposes of this chapter, “restaurant” means a retail food establishment in this state that prepares, serves, and vends food directly to a customer.22599.9.
A person shall not sell or transfer, or facilitate the sale or transfer of, a reservation for a restaurant for an amount higher than that person paid to acquire the reservation. This section shall not apply if the person has a written agreement with the restaurant that expressly authorizes the person to charge the higher amount.22599.10.
(a) A person who violates or causes another person to violate this chapter shall be liable for the following, as applicable, in a civil action brought by the Attorney General, or any county counsel or city attorney, in a court of competent jurisdiction:(1) A civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation.
(2) Injunctive or declaratory relief.
(3) Reasonable attorney’s fees.
(b) An individual or entity who suffers actual harm as a result of a violation of this chapter may bring a civil action to recover all of the following:
(1) Actual damages.
(2) Reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
(3) Injunctive or declaratory relief.
(4) Any other relief the court deems proper.
(c) A civil penalty recovered by the Attorney General pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Public Rights Law Enforcement Special Fund established by Section 12530 of the Government Code.
Text of AB 1640 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions