Senate BillPassed first houseVehicle
SB 1292: Enhanced curb management system.
What SB 1292 does, verified July 13, 2026
This bill would authorize a local agency to establish an enhanced curb management system that records images of vehicles for the purpose of enforcing parking violations or automating parking payments. The system would record images of vehicles and license plates at the time of the violation and review and approve the image data by a peace officer or authorized person before mailing a notice of parking violation. The notice would be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle within 15 calendar days. The image data collected by the system and any identifying information would be confidential and used only for processing parking violations and charging vehicles a fee for access. A public information campaign would be observed for at least 60 days before issuing citations, and the local agency would report periodically to the legislature on the system's impact. The bill also requires mak…
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Last action: June 29 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author. (2026-06-29)Alert me
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| Jun. 29, 2026 | June 29 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author. |
| Jun. 25, 2026 | Assembly Rule 56 suspended. |
| Jun. 22, 2026 | June 22 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author. |
| Jun. 11, 2026 | From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS. |
| Jun. 01, 2026 | Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and P. & C.P. |
Latest bill textAmended version, June 11, 2026 · 3,550 words
| Amended IN Assembly June 11, 2026 |
| Amended IN Senate April 22, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 1292
| Introduced by Senator Richardson |
February 20, 2026 |
An act to add and repeal Article 5 (commencing with Section 40275) of Chapter 1 of Division 17 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1292, as amended, Richardson. Enhanced curb management system.
Existing law authorizes, until January 1, 2030, a local agency, as defined, to install automated forward facing parking control devices on city-owned or district-owned parking enforcement vehicles for the purpose of taking photographs of parking violations occurring in bicycle lanes. Existing law requires a designated employee of a city, county, city and county, or a contracted law enforcement agency for a special transit district, who is qualified by the city and county or the district to issue parking citations, to review photographs for the purpose of determining whether a parking violation occurred in a bicycle lane and to issue a notice of violation to the registered owner of a vehicle within 15 calendar days, as specified. Existing law requires these photographic records to be confidential and makes these records available only to public agencies to enforce parking violations. Existing law requires any local agency that implements this pilot program to report to specified committees of the Legislature on the system’s effectiveness and impact on traffic outcomes, among other things, by December 31, 2028.
This bill would authorize, until January 1, 2032, the City of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Inglewood, San Diego, or Long Beach, or the city parking enforcement authority within those cities, to establish an enhanced curb management system (system) that records images of vehicles for the purpose of enforcing parking violations or automating parking payments if certain requirements are met. The bill would require the governing body of the participating city to adopt a public ordinance or resolution that would authorize the use of a system in specified locations, including, among others, passenger loading zones and smart loading zones. The bill would require a participating city that automates parking payments by charging vehicles a fee for access to outline the fee, and any adjusted rates, in an ordinance or resolution. The bill would require the public ordinance or resolution to include an Enhanced Curb Management Use Policy (policy) that sets forth the specific purpose of the system, among other things. The bill would require the policy to be made available for public review, as specified.
This bill would require the system to record images of the vehicle and license plate at the time of the violation, and requires, before mailing a notice of parking violation, that the image data be reviewed and approved by a peace officer or person authorized to enforce parking laws. The bill would require the notice of violation to be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle within 15 calendar days, as specified. The bill would require the image data collected by the system and any identifying information to be confidential, and would require the image data to only be used for the purpose of processing parking violations and charging vehicles a fee for access.
This bill would require a participating city to observe a public information campaign for at least 60 days before issuing citations, as specified. The bill would require a participating city to submit a report to its governing body and the transportation committees of the Legislature, as specified. The bill would require the governing body of the participating city to approve an Enhanced Curb Management Impact Report (report) after implementing a system and would require the report to include specified information, including, among other things, the locations where the system was deployed and data for these locations.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Illegally parked vehicles, such as those blocking transit stops, bicycle lanes, or crosswalks, or double-parked in travel lanes, create safety hazards and contribute to traffic congestion. Pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, and transit riders are put at risk when forced into vehicle lanes by blocked sidewalks, bicycle paths, or bus zones. Poor compliance in loading zones also leaves delivery drivers with few options, often leading to double-parked vehicles. Clearing these obstructions will improve overall road safety and traffic because these violations are very short in nature, and they go uncited the vast majority of the time.
(b) Due to limited parking enforcement personnel, many curb parking violations go unchecked, especially in busy urban areas. Traditional enforcement, such as writing a ticket and placing it on a windshield, is resource intensive and often impossible when violations are transient or after hours. Automated enforcement systems can supplement scarce personnel by reliably detecting violations, thereby promoting better compliance with existing parking laws.
(c) California and other jurisdictions have seen positive results from automated traffic enforcement and automatically paid loading zones. For example, the City and County of San Francisco’s pilot program using cameras to enforce transit-only lanes significantly reduced transit delays by up to 20 percent and improved traffic flow. The City of New York City’s deployment of bus lane and bus stop cameras improved bus speeds by 5 percent and reduced collisions by 20 percent on those corridors. The Cities of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia’s programs to automate curbside enforcement and payment for loading zones and other safety hazard violations have led to 70 to 97 percent reductions in double parking, improved traffic flow, and greater economic activity in urban cores. These outcomes demonstrate that automated enforcement and paid loading zones can increase safety and efficiency without overburdening drivers.
(d) Effective curb management through consistent enforcement and charging vehicles a fee for access of loading zones has economic benefits, ensuring parking turnover for businesses and reliable loading zones for deliveries. It also reduces circling for parking and idling in traffic, which in turn lowers emissions. The Legislature notes that cities like the Cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach view robust parking enforcement as vital to supporting local businesses and events and to meet climate and air quality goals. By deterring illegal parking, automated enforcement can enhance commerce in downtowns and reduce pollution from congestion.
(e) The Legislature is mindful that automated license plate recognition and camera systems must include safeguards for privacy and accuracy. Successful programs have implemented strict data retention limits and oversight, for instance, requiring that any recorded images be destroyed within a defined short period after citation processing. It is the intent of the Legislature that any authorization of automated curb enforcement shall incorporate robust privacy protections and transparency measures. Public awareness efforts, including warning periods for drivers, are also critical to ensure the program’s fairness and acceptance.
(f) Under existing law, local agencies must provide installment payment plans for “indigent,” or low-income, individuals with unpaid parking citations. Local agencies are required to place a link to information describing payment programs in a prominent, readily accessible location on the parking citation section of their internet websites.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that local agencies that choose to adopt enhanced curb management systems comply with provisions of current law that require installment payment plans for the indigent.
SEC. 2.
Article 5 (commencing with Section 40275) is added to Chapter 1 of Division 17 of the Vehicle Code, to read:Article 5. Enhanced Curb Management System
40275.
(a) As used in this article, both of the following definitions apply:(1) “Enhanced curb management system” or “system” means a system of one or more stationary cameras or sensor devices with designated signage that record images of vehicles for the purpose of enforcing parking violations or automating parking payments.
(2) “Designated jurisdiction” means any of the Cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Inglewood, San Diego, or Long Beach, or the city parking enforcement authority within the City of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Inglewood, San Diego, or Long Beach.
(b) A designated jurisdiction may establish an enhanced curb management system if it meets all of the requirements of this article.
(c) An enhanced curb management system shall be operated by, or under the oversight of, a designated jurisdiction or by a contracted vendor on behalf of a designated jurisdiction.
(d) Before the governing body of the designated jurisdiction establishes an enhanced curb management system, the governing body of the designated jurisdiction shall adopt a public ordinance or resolution that authorizes the use of an enhanced curb management system in any of the following locations:
(1) Passenger loading zones.
(2) Commercial loading zones for the purpose of enforcing parking violations only.
(3) Smart loading zones.
(4) Zero-emissions delivery zones.
(5) Bicycle lanes.
(6) No stopping zones.
(7) Crosswalks.
(e) (1) A designated jurisdiction may automate parking payments by charging vehicles a fee for access to passenger loading zones and smart loading zones.
(2) A designated jurisdiction that charges vehicles a fee for access pursuant to paragraph (1) shall outline the fee, and any adjusted rates, in an ordinance or resolution.
(3) A designated jurisdiction shall not charge vehicles a fee for access to commercial loading zones that existed prior to the adoption of an ordinance or resolution.
(f) (1) The public ordinance or resolution that authorizes the use of an enhanced curb management system shall include an Enhanced Curb Management Use Policy that shall set forth the specific purpose of the system, the uses that are authorized, the rules and processes requirement to be followed by employees and contractors of the designated jurisdiction administering the system prior to its use, and the uses of the equipment or data collected that are prohibited.
(2) The policy shall identify the data or information that can be collected by the system and the individuals who can access or use the collected information, and the rules and processes related to the access, transfer, and use of the information.
(3) The policy shall include provisions for protecting data from unauthorized access, data retention, public access, third-party data sharing, training, auditing, and oversight to ensure compliance with the Enhanced Curb Management Use Policy.
(4) The Enhanced Curb Management Use Policy, as an element of the public ordinance or resolution, shall be made available for public review, including, but not limited to, by posting it on the designated jurisdiction’s internet website at least 30 calendar days prior to adoption by the governing body of the designated jurisdiction.
(g) A designated jurisdiction shall post signage giving notice of the enhanced curb management system, and the signage shall be posted clearly and positioned to provide reasonable notice to motorists in the affected area before the commencement of enforcement.
(h) A designated jurisdiction may install a system pursuant to this article only if the examiner or issuing agency, as described in Section 40215, includes options to reduce or waive the payment of a parking penalty when the person is determined to be indigent, as defined in Section 40220.
40276.
(a) The image data collected by the system shall be used only for both of the following:(1) To enforce parking violation laws.
(2) To charge vehicles a fee for access to designated passenger loading zones and smart loading zones.
(b) The image data collected by the system shall not be retained longer than 60 days after final disposition of a citation, six months after a paid session in a passenger loading zone or smart loading zone, or 30 days after the image was recorded if a citation is not issued or a fee is not charged, after which time the information shall be destroyed.
(c) The designated jurisdiction shall ensure a contracted vendor operating the system follows the data retention and privacy guidelines pursuant to this section.
(d) The image data and personal identifying information obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles for enforcement shall be confidential, shall only be used for purposes of processing the parking violation or to charge vehicles a fee for access, and shall not be disclosed except as required by law.
(e) (1) The system shall collect only the minimum image data reasonably necessary to identify a vehicle license plate for the purposes described in subdivision (a).
(2) To the extent technologically feasible, the system shall automatically obscure or blur portions of an image that do not depict the license plate or vehicle necessary for enforcement.
(f) (1) A designated jurisdiction, or any contracted vendor operating the system, shall not cooperate with or provide image data to any individual, agency, or department from another state or to a federal agency, except when disclosure is required by federal law or a warrant is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(2) Failure to comply with the data sharing restrictions in paragraph (1) shall result in excess revenue from the program being reverted to the Active Transportation Program, established pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 2380) of the Streets and Highways Code, to be allocated by the California Transportation Commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, pursuant to Section 2381 of the Streets and Highways Code.
40277.
(a) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 40202, a notice of parking violation may be served by mail without physical attachment to the vehicle if the violation is detected by an enhanced curb management system operated by a designated jurisdiction in accordance with this article.(b) An enhanced curb management system shall meet all of the following procedures:
(1) The enhanced curb management system shall record images of the vehicle and license plate at the time of the alleged violation, along with the date, time, and location. The recorded data shall be of sufficient clarity to identify the vehicle involved.
(2) Before mailing a notice of parking violation under this section, the image data shall be reviewed and approved by a peace officer or person authorized to enforce parking laws. The reviewing person shall verify that the vehicle was in violation of the applicable parking regulation based on the image data. A certification of this review shall be included in the case file.
(3) The processing agency shall mail the notice of parking violation to the registered owner of the vehicle no later than 15 calendar days after the date of the violation. The notice shall include copies of the image data and information on how to view any image data, the violation details, and the procedure to pay or contest the citation.
(4) A notice of parking violation issued under this section has the same force and effect as a notice placed on a vehicle windshield. All rights and obligations applicable to the recipient of a parking citation under this chapter, including the right to contest under Section 40215, and affidavits of nonliability under Sections 40208 and 40209, shall apply to notices served by mail pursuant to this section.
(c) The notice of parking violation mailed under this section shall include a statement of the vehicle owner’s privacy rights regarding the image data.
(d) (1) Revenues derived from any program utilizing an enhanced curb management system shall first be used to recover program costs. Program costs include, but are not limited to, the installation of camera enforcement systems, the adjudication of violations, and reporting requirements, as specified in this article.
(2) A designated jurisdiction using an enhanced curb management system, as authorized by this article, shall maintain their existing commitment of local funds for curbside parking enforcement and shall annually expend not less than the annual average of expenditures for local curbside parking enforcement during the 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26 fiscal years. For purposes of this subdivision, in calculating average expenditures on curbside parking enforcement, restricted funds that may not be available on an ongoing basis, including those from voter-approved bond issuances or tax measures, shall not be included. Any excess revenue shall be used for parking management measures within three years of the end of the fiscal year in which the excess revenue was received. If parking management measures are not planned or constructed after the third year, excess revenue shall revert to the Active Transportation Program established pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 2380) of the Streets and Highways Code, to be allocated by the California Transportation Commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, pursuant to Section 2381 of the Streets and Highways Code.
40278.
(a) Before a designated jurisdiction issues notices of parking violation under Section 40277, the designated jurisdiction shall observe a public information campaign in accordance with this section.(b) (1) The designated jurisdiction shall conduct a public information campaign for at least 60 days before issuing citations. This campaign may include public service announcements, press releases, community meetings, social media notifications, and other outreach to inform motorists of the new enforcement method, the locations involved, and the date on which citations will begin.
(2) For the first 60 days of active enforcement using a system at a given location, the designated jurisdiction shall issue only warning notices, with no monetary penalty, to violators caught by the system. The warning notices shall clearly explain the violation and state that no fine is assessed for this warning, but that future violations will result in citations with fines.
(c) The requirements of this section shall apply each time a new automated parking enforcement camera or location is activated by a designated jurisdiction. The designated jurisdiction shall maintain records of its public outreach efforts and the issuance of warning notices. The records shall be available for public inspection.
40279.
(a) A designated jurisdiction using an enhanced curb management system shall, on or before March 1 of the fifth year in which the system has been implemented, or by December 1, 2031, whichever occurs first, submit a report to its governing body and the transportation committees of the Legislature an evaluation of the system in their respective jurisdictions to determine the system’s impact on safety, loading zone activity, and the system’s economic impact on the communities where the system is utilized.(b) (1) The report shall be made available on the internet website of the designated jurisdiction and shall include all of the following information:
(A) The number of notices of automated parking fees and the number of violations issued by month and year, the locations where violations occurred, and the number of vehicles with two or more violations in a monthly period and a yearly period.
(B) The number of fees paid, violations paid, the number of delinquent violations and fees, and the number of violations contested. For the violations contested, the report shall indicate the number of notices that were dismissed.
(C) The costs associated with implementation and operation of the system, and revenues collected by each jurisdiction.
(D) A racial and economic equity impact analysis, developed in collaboration with local racial justice and economic equity stakeholder groups. The analysis shall include the amount of fees charged, and the number of notices of violations issued, to indigent individuals, to individuals of up to 250 percent above the poverty line, and to each ZIP Code.
(2) The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
40280.
The governing body of the designated jurisdiction shall approve an Enhanced Curb Management Impact Report after implementing a system. The Enhanced Curb Management Impact Report shall include all of the following information:(a) An assessment of impact of the system on civil liberties and civil rights and any recommendations to improve ways to safeguard those public rights.
(b) A description of the system and how it works.
(c) Fiscal costs for the system, including program establishment costs, projected ongoing costs, and program funding.
(d) If deployment locations of systems are in predominantly in low-income neighborhoods.
(e) Locations where the system was deployed and data for these locations.
40280.5.
Image data and records collected pursuant to this article shall not be used or processed by an automated license plate recognition system, as defined in Section 1798.90.5 of the Civil Code.40281.
This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2032, and as of that date is repealed.SEC. 3.
The Legislature finds and declares that Section 2 of this act, which adds Section 40276 to the Vehicle Code, imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:To protect the privacy interests of persons who are issued notices of violation under an enhanced curb management system, the Legislature finds and declares that the image data or administrative records generated by the system shall be confidential, and shall be made available only to alleged violators and to governmental agencies solely for the purpose of enforcing these violations, charging vehicles a fee for access, and assessing the impact of the use of enhanced curb management systems.
Text of SB 1292 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions