Four new laws going into effect in California in 2025 affect motorists. Drivers will be required to maintain a higher minimum liability insurance coverage. State law also changes how close people can park to a crosswalk. Here are the four laws to familiarize yourself with before the new year.
Approved in 2022, the minimum liability insurance coverage California motorists are required to maintain will increase, effective Jan. 1, 2025. California motorists are required to carry insurance. Currently, the minimum liability insurance requirements in California are $15,000 for injury or death to one person, $30,000 for injury or death to more than one person, and $5,000 for damage to property, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Starting next year, the minimum liability insurance requirements increase to the following:
According to a news release from State Farm, the current limits have not been adjusted for more than 56 years.
“Consumers expect to be made whole by their insurance after a traffic accident, but I believe the current minimum coverage levels often left California’s drivers at risk of being one accident away from financial ruin, especially those from our most vulnerable communities,” Ricardo Lara, insurance commissioner, said in a bulletin in 2023. “The implementation of this new law will ensure automobile insurance keeps up with the change in times and California’s drivers are more adequately protected.”
This law prohibits tolls from being imposed on a pedestrian on certain bridges, including ones owned by the state. The exception to this is if the bridge was under construction on or after Jan. 1, 2025, and the tolls are used to fund the bridge’s construction.
AB 3 was approved in 2021 and adds a punishment a person can face when convicted of participating in or aiding a motor vehicle exhibition of speed on a highway. This law allows a court, effective July 1, 2025, to suspend a person’s driver’s license for 90 days and up to six months and restrict someone’s driving to only for their employment.
The Sacramento Bee reported in 2021 that the law was to crack down on illegal street racing and sideshows — also known as a street takeover in which motorists take control of a street or intersection to perform stunts to a crowd. Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several laws related to street takeovers, including expanding law enforcement’s ability to seize vehicles involved.
People can’t stop or park their vehicle within 20 feet of any unmarked or marked crosswalk, vehicle approach side, or within 15 feet of any crosswalk with a curb extension. A curb extension refers to when the sidewalk or a curb is extended to reduce the time and distance a person spends crossing the street, according to the Department of Transportation.
Referred to as California’s daylighting law, daylighting is the “concept that safety is improved by removing parked cars next to crosswalks,” according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. The law, according to co-sponsor CalBike, leads to increased visibility and reduces deadly collisions. While AB 413 was approved by Gov. Newsom in 2023, the significant change coming is that people can now be issued a citation for violations.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
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