Los Angeles — A number of new regulations will go into force in California on January 1, 2025, covering everything from housing and firearms to education and crime. There are various laws that will effect drivers.
Driver’s license
SB 1100 makes it illegal for a job posting to ask applicants to have a valid driver’s license.
Driver’s licenses are sometimes required in California for certain jobs. The law eliminates discrimination against people who do not have a driver’s license by abolishing it as a condition of employment unless specific conditions are met.
According to the law, an employer can include a statement requiring an applicant to have a driver’s license only if the employer reasonably expects driving to be one of the job functions of the position and the employer reasonably believes that using an alternative mode of transportation would not be comparable in travel time or cost to the employer.
Insurance coverage
SB 1107 raises the amount of liability insurance coverage that a motor vehicle owner or operator must maintain.
Beginning January 1, the payout limits will be increased to $30,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $60,000 for bodily injury or death of all persons, and $15,000 for damage to others’ property as a result of any single accident. The law would also raise the deposit to $75,000.
Locked door loophole
SB 905 closes the “locked door loophole,” which required prosecutors to prove automobile doors were locked when a burglary occurred. This gives prosecutors more options for dealing with auto burglaries and thefts.
Victims of car break-ins can prove the offense of auto burglary by demonstrating forced entrance, which can be punished as a misdemeanor or felony. A felony conviction carries a sentence of 16 months to three years.
The bill also allows for the prosecution of suspects who resale things stolen during car break-ins. Anyone in possession of more than $950 in stolen stuff from an automobile, whether they took it, held it, or sold it, can face prosecution.
Parking
AB 413 makes it illegal to park within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk approach, even if no red curbs are painted.
This rule was created to increase intersection safety, particularly for pedestrians, and it applies to all crosswalks, regardless of whether they are painted.
Until AB 413 was passed into law in October 2023, California was one of the few states without a rule prohibiting parking near crosswalks. Over 40 states already have rules requiring automobiles to maintain a distance of at least 20 feet from crosswalks.
