Bill Commons

CA AB 1085

enacted

License plates: obstruction or alteration.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 1085 pass?

Yes. CA AB 1085 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-01. Latest recorded action (2025-10-01): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 179, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 1085 about?

Existing law prohibits a person from erasing the reflective coating of, painting over the reflective coating of, or altering a license plate to avoid visual or electronic capture of the license plate or its characters by state or local law enforcement. Existing law prohibits a person from installing or affixing on a vehicle a casing, shield, frame, border, product, or other device that obstructs or impairs the reading or recognition of a license plate by an electronic device operated by state or local law enforcement, an electronic device operated in connection with a toll road, high-occupancy toll lane, toll bridge, or other toll facility, or a remote emission sensing device, as specified. Existing law also prohibits the sale of a product or device that obscures, or is intended to obscure, the reading or recognition of a license plate by visual means, or by an electronic device in violation of the above-described provisions. A conviction for a violation of this provision is punishable by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars $250 per item sold or per violation. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime. This bill would further prohibit a person from installing or affixing a shade or tint that obstructs the reading or recognition of a license plate by an electronic device operated by state or local law enforcement, an electronic device operated in connection with a toll road, high-occupancy toll lane, toll bridge, or other toll facility, or a remote emission sensing device, as specified. The bill would further prohibit the manufacture of these products and devices in the state and impose a $1,000 fine per item sold or manufactured for a violation of these provisions. The bill would also make clarifying changes. By creating a new crime, this 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Who sponsors CA AB 1085?

Stefani is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1085.

Description

Existing law prohibits a person from erasing the reflective coating of, painting over the reflective coating of, or altering a license plate to avoid visual or electronic capture of the license plate or its characters by state or local law enforcement. Existing law prohibits a person from installing or affixing on a vehicle a casing, shield, frame, border, product, or other device that obstructs or impairs the reading or recognition of a license plate by an electronic device operated by state or local law enforcement, an electronic device operated in connection with a toll road, high-occupancy toll lane, toll bridge, or other toll facility, or a remote emission sensing device, as specified. Existing law also prohibits the sale of a product or device that obscures, or is intended to obscure, the reading or recognition of a license plate by visual means, or by an electronic device in violation of the above-described provisions. A conviction for a violation of this provision is punishable by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars $250 per item sold or per violation. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime. This bill would further prohibit a person from installing or affixing a shade or tint that obstructs the reading or recognition of a license plate by an electronic device operated by state or local law enforcement, an electronic device operated in connection with a toll road, high-occupancy toll lane, toll bridge, or other toll facility, or a remote emission sensing device, as specified. The bill would further prohibit the manufacture of these products and devices in the state and impose a $1,000 fine per item sold or manufactured for a violation of these provisions. The bill would also make clarifying changes. By creating a new crime, this 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Introduced
2025-03-24
Latest action
2025-10-01 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 179, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Stefaniauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-20

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-02-21

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  3. 2025-03-24

    Referred to Com. on TRANS.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-03-24

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  5. 2025-03-25

    Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-04-08

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  7. 2025-04-09

    Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

    referral-committee

  8. 2025-04-22

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  9. 2025-05-07

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 7).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  10. 2025-05-08

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

    reading-1,reading-2

  11. 2025-05-15

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 1569.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  12. 2025-05-15

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  13. 2025-05-28

    Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and PUB. S.

    referral-committee

  14. 2025-06-10

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 10).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  15. 2025-06-11

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  16. 2025-06-19

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  17. 2025-07-02

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  18. 2025-07-14

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.

    committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  19. 2025-07-15

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

    reading-1,reading-2

  20. 2025-07-17

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 0. Page 2138.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  21. 2025-07-17

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  22. 2025-08-25

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 2726.).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  23. 2025-09-02

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

    executive-receipt

  24. 2025-10-01

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  25. 2025-10-01

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 179, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 02/20/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-20Compare
  • 03/24/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-24Compare
  • 04/08/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-04-08Compare
  • 06/11/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-11Compare
  • 08/27/25 - Enrolled — 2025-08-27Compare
  • 10/01/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-01Compare
  • AB1085Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-04-21 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (16)
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Papan: other

  • Do pass. To Consent Calendar.

    2025-05-07 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Dixon: yes

  • AB 1085 Stefani Consent Calendar Second Day

    2025-05-15 · pass · 69-0

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: other
    • Alanis: other
    • Stefani: other
    • Bennett: other
    • Hart: other
    • Arambula: other
    • Jeff Gonzalez: other
    • Caloza: other
    • Castillo: other
    • Ramos: other

  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Public Safety] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-06-10 · pass · 13-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Archuleta: other
    • Gonzalez: other

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-07-01 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (6)
    • Wiener: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Pérez: yes

  • Consent Calendar 2nd

    2025-07-17 · pass · 35-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Umberg: other
    • Becker: other
    • Padilla: other
    • Reyes: other
    • Alvarado-Gil: other

  • AB 1085 Stefani Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-08-25 · pass · 76-0

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Arambula: other
    • Bonta: other
    • Bains: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1085

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

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