California bans all plastic checkout bags, closing its own loophole

California closes the door on plastic bags

California stopped allowing plastic bags at store checkouts on Jan. 1, 2026.

Senate Bill 1053 bans every type of plastic bag at the register, no matter how thick it is or whether the label says “reusable.” Stores can now only offer recycled paper bags, and shoppers pay at least 10 cents each.

The law targets a gap in the state’s original 2014 ban that let thicker plastic bags slide through for over a decade.

The 2014 ban had a big gap

California became the first state to ban single-use plastic bags back in 2014 under Senate Bill 270, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed.

But that law left the door open for stores to sell thicker plastic bags as long as they met certain durability and recycling standards. The problem?

Most shoppers treated those thicker bags the same way they treated the thin ones and tossed them after one use. Sen. Catherine Blakespear of Encinitas wrote SB 1053, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it on Sept. 22, 2024.

Plastic bag waste grew 47% anyway

The original ban was supposed to cut plastic waste, but it backfired.

CalRecycle data showed that the amount of plastic grocery bags Californians threw away grew about 47% between 2014 and 2022. The thicker bags that stores sold as reusable rarely got reused or recycled.

Lawmakers and environmental groups said the loophole gutted the whole point of the original law, and they pushed for years to fix it.

Voters backed a bag ban in 2016

The plastic bag industry fought the 2014 law and gathered enough signatures to put it to a public vote. In November 2016, California voters upheld the ban through Proposition 67, which passed with about 53% support.

Even with that backing, the loophole for thicker bags stayed in place for nearly another decade. SB 1053 finally closed it when it took effect this January.

Grocery and retail stores must comply

The ban covers grocery stores, convenience stores, food marts, liquor stores, and large retailers with pharmacies.

It applies to bags handed out at checkout counters, self-checkout stations, curbside pickup, and home delivery. Restaurants and non-food retailers without pharmacies are not covered under the new law.

Stores that break the rules face fines, and those fines go up with each repeat violation.

Some bags still make the cut

Not every bag disappeared from stores. Bags without handles that hold loose produce, meat, or bakery items before checkout are still fine.

Pharmacy bags for prescription medications are also exempt.

So are bags used to keep a purchased item from damaging or contaminating other items in a checkout bag. These types of bags fall under separate California rules, so shoppers will still see them in stores.

Low-income shoppers get bags free

The law makes sure the 10-cent fee does not hit everyone. Customers who pay with WIC vouchers or EBT cards get paper bags at no cost.

No store can force any customer to buy a bag, and no store can make buying a bag a condition of a sale. Shoppers always have the option to bring their own bags from home, including old plastic ones they already have.

Paper bags must hit recycled content targets

The new paper bags come with rules of their own. As of 2026, recycled paper bags must contain at least 40% post-consumer recycled material.

That standard jumps to at least 50% starting Jan. 1, 2028.

Every bag must also carry a label showing the manufacturer’s name, country of origin, and recycled content percentage. Stores keep the money they collect from bag sales.

Cities and the AG enforce the ban

Cities, counties, and the California Attorney General handle enforcement of the new law. CalRecycle, the state’s recycling agency, does not have direct authority to enforce it.

If shoppers spot a store still handing out plastic bags, they can report it to their local district attorney, city attorney, or the Attorney General’s office.

The law puts enforcement in the hands of local and state prosecutors.

Twelve states now ban plastic bags

California started the trend in 2014, and other states followed.

As of January 2026, 12 states ban single-use plastic bags: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

A June 2025 study in the journal Science found that bag bans and fees cut the number of plastic bags found during shoreline cleanups by about 25% to 47%.

Business groups push back on costs

Not everyone supports the change. The California Grocers Association raised concerns that banning all plastic bags could raise costs for retailers and customers.

Opponents also argue that paper bags carry their own environmental and production drawbacks. Some states have gone the opposite direction and passed laws that block cities from banning plastic bags at all.

What shoppers need to know now

Bring a reusable bag to skip the fee. Paper bags cost at least 10 cents each, though some stores may charge more.

Customers on WIC or SNAP do not pay for bags. Small bags for produce, meat, and bakery items are still free.

And nothing in the law stops shoppers from bringing any bag from home, including old plastic ones. The only change is what stores can hand out at the register.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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