SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Jan. 1, a host of new state laws go into effect, dictating everything from kitchen appliances in rental properties to bank overdraft fees to whether California cats can have claws.

Some were crafted by the Legislature, which passed 790 bills into law in 2025, the first year of the current two-year session. Others were crafted by previous Legislatures, but given delayed enacting clauses to allow state agencies, companies and the public to prepare for the changes.

Here are a few laws coming into effect that have drawn public attention and are likely to mean some change to the lives of Californians.

Workers' rights and minimum wage

In a demonstration of the way legislation passed years ago can continue to have major ramifications on Californians’ lives, Jan. 1 will mark a 40-cent-per-hour increase to the minimum wage. The pay bump for the state’s lowest-paid workers is the result of a law passed in 2016 and signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown.

That legislation incrementally increased the minimum wage to $15 in 2022. But the bill also created a mechanism for the state to continue raising the wage in response to increases in the Consumer Price Index, which measures the cost of living. That mechanism is responsible for this year’s bump to $16.90.

The current Legislature passed a few of its own laws in favor of California workers. Beginning Jan. 1, the California labor commissioner will have the authority to investigate accusations of tip theft by employers and issue citations and fines to offenders.

Employers also will no longer be able to impose a training fee or other financial penalty if a newly hired employee leaves the job. That law includes exceptions, such as a contract that requires a repayment of a training fee if the employee is fired for misconduct.

New tenant laws

For California renters, especially those looking for new housing in the new year, two new laws that go into effect Jan. 1 are worth keeping an eye on.

Landlords and property management companies will no longer be able to require their tenants to pay for an assigned internet service provider — renters will now be required to offer an opt-out option from buying that internet line.

The new law applies to any rental contracts signed or renewed after the first of the year, including leases continuing on a month-to-month basis.

Landlords will also now have to ensure rental units have a working refrigerator and stove. And they must repair or replace the refrigerator within 30 days if it gets recalled by a manufacturer or agency.

Overdrafts and data leaks

Lawmakers also took steps to rein in the fees credit unions operating in California can charge people who overdraft on their accounts or trigger an insufficient funds notice. Beginning Jan. 1, those fees can no longer exceed $14.

Also starting next year, financial institutions and any other business that collects data will have to alert any California resident whose information may have been compromised as a result of a system hack or other security breach within 30 days.

There is an exception for the disclosure to accommodate a law enforcement investigation. The new law also requires the data storer alert the California attorney general of any breach of its data within 15 days of the intrusion that has affected more than 500 state residents.

Also on the data front, Californians will soon be able to submit a form through the California Privacy Protection Agency, a state entity, to request data-broking websites to delete their personal data. Websites are required to perform the deletion within 45 days, and report back to the agency when it’s completed.

Law enforcement and immigration

Both the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom have sought to push back on President Donald Trump’s accelerated drive to detain and deport undocumented immigrants, as federal enforcement actions disrupt communities and families both here and nationwide.

New laws dictate that beginning Jan. 1, California and federal law enforcement officers in the state, when not wearing an agency uniform, will be legally required to wear identification showing their agency and either a name or badge number.

Officers operating undercover are exempted from the rule. State lawmakers also passed a bill banning law enforcement officers, with some exceptions, from wearing masks or face coverings while performing their duties. The federal government has sued to block the implementation of both laws, however, so their future remains uncertain.

The state’s law enforcement agencies will also now have to disclose when they use artificial intelligence programs to help generate a police report.

Plastic bags and cat claws

Two new laws that have drawn widespread attention and are going into effect Jan. 1 include a broad ban on single-use plastic bags from stores, and a ban on procedures to remove cats’ claws, unless it’s done as a therapeutic procedure by a veterinarian — a move that animal rights activists have lauded, arguing that declawing was painful and cruel.

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