California Bag Ban, Fee & EPR Rules

Verified: July 29, 2026

Bag Ban Status

Statewide bag ban: active statewide ban. Covered-retailer scope is narrow under state law (Public Resources Code §42281 as amended by SB 1053): only 'stores' as defined — full-line self-service retail grocery stores with $2M+ gross annual sales selling a line of dry groceries, OR retail establishments of 10,000+ sq ft that contain a licensed pharmacy — plus convenience food stores, food marts, and entities engaged in the sale of a limited line of goods that includes milk, bread, soda, and snack foods. Standalone apparel, jewelry, and general retail are NOT covered by the state statute; local ordinances (e.g. City of Los Angeles LAMC Art 2.1 Ch XIX) extend the scope to apparel.

Plastic Bag Restrictions

Plastic carryout bags: active statewide ban. Since 2026-01-01 (SB 1053), ALL plastic film carryout bags are banned at covered stores regardless of thickness — the thicker 'reusable' plastic bag option is eliminated; only recycled paper bags (min $0.10) or customer-provided reusable bags at checkout.

Paper Bag Requirements

$0.10 state minimum paper bag fee. 40% post-consumer recycled content required on paper carryout bags. Paper PCR rises to 50% on 2028-01-01.

Recycled Content (PCR)

Paper carryout bag PCR: 40%. Paper PCR scheduled to rise to 50% on 2028-01-01.

Fees & Taxation

$0.10 per paper carryout bag (state minimum). Local fees also apply in some cities - see Local Ordinances below.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

EPR for Packaging — enacted and live. Statute: SB 54 / Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act. PRO: Circular Action Alliance (CAA). De minimis: <$1M California sales. Penalties: Up to $50,000/day. Litigation: a 17-state coalition led by Nebraska, joined by the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) as the sole business plaintiff, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the SB 54 regulations on June 22, 2026 (Nebraska v. Heller, No. 2:26-at-01047, E.D. Cal.); environmental groups (NRDC, Californians Against Waste, Oceana) filed an administrative petition seeking stronger regulations (June 2, 2026). The regulations remain in effect while both proceed.

Local Ordinances

City of Los Angeles — LAMC Art 2.1 Ch XIX (2022) - $0.10 paper + quarterly reporting; explicitly covers apparel stores; stores >26 employees report quarterly. City of Glendale — 2013 ordinance - plastic ban + $0.10 paper; older grocery/drug/convenience scope. City of Culver City — 2013 ordinance - plastic ban + $0.10 paper in grocery/drug/convenience; expanded 2025. City of Arcadia — Polystyrene + foodware ordinances only; no dedicated retail bag ordinance. San Francisco — Pre-Sept 2014 ordinance - $0.25 fee covers ALL SF retail. Berkeley — $0.25 fee on disposable foodware/bags - all retail. Other LA County incorporated cities (Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Long Beach, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Monrovia, Pasadena, Santa Monica, South Pasadena, West Hollywood) — Each has own bag ordinance, mostly following older grocery/drug/convenience scope.

Key Dates

Regulations effective: 2026-05-01. Producer registration deadline: 2026-06-01. Baseline producer report (2023 data) was due 2026-07-01. Individual Source Reduction Plans due 2026-08-03. CAA program plan public comment closes 2026-08-14. CAA program plan finalization: 2026-10-01. Full program implementation: 2027-01-01.