Bill Text: CA AB1650 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Rental vehicles: law enforcement.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 22)
Status: (Engrossed) 2026-07-01 - From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. [AB1650 Detail]
Download: California-2025-AB1650-Amended.html
NOYES
Local Program:
NO
30. SECTION 1. Section 1939.36 is added to the Civil Code , to read: 1939.36.
Bill Title: Rental vehicles: law enforcement.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 22)
Status: (Engrossed) 2026-07-01 - From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. [AB1650 Detail]
Download: California-2025-AB1650-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 23, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1650
| Introduced by Assembly Member Caloza (Principal |
January 28, 2026 |
An act to add Section 1939.36 to the Civil Code, amend Sections 165 and 25252 of, and to repeal and add Section 30 of, the Vehicle Code, relating to rental passenger vehicles.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1650, as amended, Caloza.
Rental passenger vehicles: United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. law enforcement.
Existing law generally regulates the business of renting passenger vehicles to the public. The law prohibits a rental company from taking various actions, including requiring the purchase of a damage waiver, optional insurance, or another optional good or service, and using electronic surveillance technology to track a renter in order to impose fines or surcharges relating to the renter’s use of a rental vehicle.
This bill would prohibit a rental company from renting a vehicle to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Existing law imposes specific requirements on drivers and
pedestrians when an authorized emergency vehicle is sounding a siren and exhibiting its red lights. Existing law also exempts an authorized emergency vehicle or a driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from certain requirements while the vehicle is responding to an emergency. Existing law defines an authorized emergency vehicle as, among other things, a publicly owned vehicle operated by any forestry or fire department of any public agency.
This bill would expand the definition of “authorized emergency vehicle” for these purposes to include any privately owned vehicle rented by, or furnished to, any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency for the use of investigating, monitoring, detaining, arresting, or transporting persons who have violated, or are suspected of having violated, any law. The bill would require that these vehicles be permanently
equipped with burning or flashing red and blue lights and a decal that identifies the law enforcement agency that procured the vehicle, except as specified. The bill would authorize certain attorneys, including the Attorney General, to pursue a civil penalty starting at $3,000 for the first violation, or an injunction, for failure to comply with these provisions. The bill would exempt rental car contracts entered into prior to January 1, 2027, from these provisions.
The bill would make related findings and declarations.
The bill would declare that its provisions are severable.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) The federal government has launched broad immigration enforcement efforts in California, deploying personnel from various federal agencies.
(b) All of the following have raised concerns for public safety:
(1) The increasing use of facial coverings.
(2) The absence of visible identifying markings on the vehicles used during the detainment and arrest of a person.
(3) The absence of clearly and conspicuously identified vehicles that are utilized by law enforcement.
(4) The use of unmarked vehicles during enforcement activities.
(5) The lack of safety lights on vehicles used by officers during enforcement activities.
(c) Both the individuals involved and onlookers have reported confusion and fear that they were experiencing or witnessing a crime.
(d) In a widely
reported incident, when two plainclothes federal officers wearing masks tackled a woman on the sidewalk and forcibly placed her in an unmarked vehicle, the woman’s family called 911 to report a kidnapping.
(e) Several news outlets have reported incidents of individuals impersonating federal law enforcement officers to harass or detain others and that impersonation undermines public trust in law enforcement, especially among vulnerable individuals.
(f) Charges filed against individuals include all of the following:
(1) Kidnapping and impersonating a law enforcement officer after allegedly detaining a group of Latino men.
(2) Impersonating a law enforcement officer on a university campus.
(3) Impersonating a law enforcement officer in connection with the sexual assault of a woman while threatening her with deportation.
(g) While the federal government has publicly condemned impersonations, the lack of consistent and visible personal and agency identification is making it difficult for individuals and state and local law enforcement to distinguish between authorized personnel and bad actors.
(h) The State of California has both the authority and responsibility, pursuant to its police powers, to maintain order and protect the safety and well-being of all people within its jurisdiction.
(i) In order to carry out this duty, the State of California has the authority to establish identification and vehicle requirements for law enforcement operating within the state so that the public and its
law enforcement can distinguish between individuals who are exercising law enforcement authority and those who are not, particularly in situations where a person is engaging in potentially unlawful behavior.
(j) Therefore, the state has a compelling interest in identifying and verifying who is, and who is not, validly claiming or operating pursuant to law enforcement authority within the state. The state also has a compelling interest in requiring that privately owned vehicles used in law enforcement activities meet certain safety and identifying characteristics.
SEC. 2.
Section 30 of the Vehicle Code is repealed.It is declared as a matter of legislative policy that red lights and sirens on vehicles should be restricted to authorized emergency vehicles engaged in police, fire and lifesaving services; and that other types of vehicles which are engaged in activities which create special hazards upon the highways should be equipped with flashing amber warning lamps.
SEC. 3.
Section 30 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:30.
The Legislature declares all of the following as a matter of legislative policy:(a) Red lights and sirens on vehicles should be restricted to authorized emergency vehicles engaged in police, fire, and lifesaving services.
(b) Privately owned cars rented to law enforcement agencies are equipped with proper lights to ensure public safety.
(c) Other types of vehicles that are engaged in activities that create special hazards upon the highways should be equipped with flashing amber warning lamps.
SEC. 4.
Section 165 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:165.
An authorized emergency vehicle is:(a) Any publicly owned and operated ambulance, lifeguard, or lifesaving equipment or any privately owned or operated ambulance licensed by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to operate in response to emergency calls.
(b) Any publicly owned vehicle operated by the following persons, agencies, or organizations:
(1) Any federal, state, or local agency, department, or district employing peace officers as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Part 2 of Title 3 of the Penal Code, for use by those officers in the performance of their duties.
(2) Any forestry or fire department of any public agency or fire department organized as provided in the Health and Safety Code.
(c) Any vehicle owned by the state, or any bridge and highway district, and equipped and used either for fighting fires, or towing or servicing other vehicles, caring for injured persons, or repairing damaged lighting or electrical equipment.
(d) Any state-owned vehicle used in responding to emergency fire, rescue, or communications calls and operated either by the Office of Emergency Services or by any public agency or industrial fire department to which the Office of Emergency Services has assigned the vehicle.
(e) (1) Any vehicle owned or operated by a federally recognized Indian tribe used in responding to
emergency, fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls. For the purposes of this section and the provisions of Sections 2501 and 2510, a vehicle used in responding to emergency, fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls owned or operated by a federally recognized Indian tribe is considered an authorized emergency vehicle.
(2) Any vehicle owned or operated by any department or agency of the United States government when the vehicle is used in responding to emergency fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls or is actively engaged in law enforcement work.
(f) Any vehicle for which an authorized emergency vehicle permit has been issued by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.
(g) Any privately owned vehicle rented by, or furnished to, any
federal, state, or local law enforcement agency for the use of investigating, monitoring, detaining, arresting, or transporting persons who have violated, or are suspected of having violated, any law.
SEC. 5.
Section 25252 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:25252.
(a) (1) Every authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with at least one steady burning red warning lamp visible from at least 1,000 feet to the front of the vehicle to be used as provided in this code.In
(2) In addition, authorized emergency vehicles may display revolving, flashing, or steady red
warning lights to the front, sides or rear of the vehicles.
(b) (1) An authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 165, shall be equipped with burning or flashing red and blue lights permanently affixed to the vehicle and visible to the front, side, and rear, above the roofline of the vehicle.
(2) An authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 165, shall be equipped with decals identifying the law enforcement agency that procured the vehicle.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 21055, subdivision (b) does not apply to privately owned vehicles rented or otherwise
furnished or loaned to any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency for any of the following purposes:
(1) An officer engaged in plainclothes operations who is employed by the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, the Office of Law Enforcement Support, the California Health and Human Services Agency, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the Natural Resources Agency, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Transportation Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Government Operations Agency, or by any department, board, commission, or other entity within those agencies or the federal equivalent of these state agencies.
(2) Exigent circumstances involving an imminent danger to persons or property, the escape of a perpetrator, or the destruction of evidence, including if the officer is responding to one of these circumstances
while off duty.
(3) Privately owned vehicles rented to, or otherwise furnished or loaned to a Special Weapons and Tactics or tactical team unit that is actively performing their tactical team responsibilities.
(4) Privately owned vehicles rented to, or otherwise furnished or loaned to, an officer engaged in protective operations involving elected officials, judicial officers, or other designated dignitaries if the display of identification would compromise the safety, anonymity, or tactical effectiveness of the protection detail.
(d) Renting or otherwise furnishing or loaning a privately owned vehicle to any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, with the knowledge that the vehicle would be used in violation of subdivision (b) is punishable by a civil penalty as described in subdivision (e).
(e) If there is reasonable cause to believe there has been a violation pursuant to subdivision (d), the Attorney General or a city, county, or city and county attorney may bring a civil action for injunctive and other equitable relief against a rental car company or any person or entity. The Attorney General or a city, county, or city and county attorney who brings a civil action pursuant to this section may also seek civil penalties in the amount of three thousand dollars ($3,000) for the first violation or any single violation within a 24-month period, ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for a second violation within the preceding 24 months, and fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for the third and any subsequent violation within the preceding 24 months.
(f) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle is exempt from Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 21350), Chapter 3 (commencing with
Section 21650), Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 21800), Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 21950), Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 22100), Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 22348), Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 22450), Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 22500), and Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 22650) of Division 12, and Article 3 (commencing with Section 38305) and Article 4 (commencing with Section 38312) of Chapter 5 of Division 16.5.
(g) Subdivision (b) does not apply to any rental car contract entered into prior to January 1, 2027.
SEC. 6.
The provisions of this act are severable. If any provision of this act or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.A rental company shall not rent a vehicle to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
