The Overview

If you've ever been stuck on hold with a customer service chatbot that wouldn't let you reach a real person, California now has a law for that. California's AB 1609, titled "Customer service chatbots," became law when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it on Sept. 28. A 2024 Gartner survey found that 64 percent of customers would prefer companies not use AI in customer service. The governor signed the bill on Sept. 28, 2026, and it became law that day as Chapter 733 of the 2026 statutes. ​

What the Law Does

The law applies to large private businesses, bars them from representing a chatbot as a human, and requires them to offer a live customer service agent during regular business hours. Large private businesses must make a good-faith effort to connect customers to a customer service agent within 15 minutes of a request for human help or schedule an appointment, and certain large businesses must post contact information on their websites.

Existing California law already prohibits using a bot to mislead people about its artificial identity in order to get them to buy or sell goods or services. Violations carry penalties up to $5,000 for a first offense and $10,000 for each one after that, enforced by public prosecutors. Hospitals, certain communications regulated under public utilities law, and consumer reporting agencies are exempt.

Legislative Status

Asm. Rick Zbur (D-CA-51) sponsored the bill. The full Assembly passed it May 27, 56-16. The Senate passed it Aug. 30, 29-9. The Assembly then concurred in Senate amendments 58-18.

The California Chamber of Commerce dropped its opposition after amendments made in April, according to a CalChamber status report. A coalition led by the California Chamber of Commerce opposed the amended bill in a May 4 letter, arguing it "still suggests that human customer service via telephone is paramount and preferable." Newsom called it "commonsense legislation to make your life easier," according to a governor's release.

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