New Public Safety Laws For 2025 That Target Organized Retail Theft

SACRAMENTO - Organized retail theft and dangerous “smash and grab” crimes have had a chilling effect on communities across California. But in 2025, new public safety laws passed by the Legislature will go into effect, holding thieves accountable and protecting shoppers, business owners, and workers.

The Assembly delivered a major package of bipartisan, comprehensive new property-crime laws in 2024. These 11 laws were developed in collaboration with public safety, business, and community groups, and will provide additional tools to hold accountable people who profit off repeat theft. The laws also offer diversion pathways for those experiencing poverty or substance-use issues. 

Strongest Property Crime and Retail Theft Laws in a Generation

• A new felony charge for people who repeatedly commit retail theft
• Allows law enforcement to aggregate stolen property across different locations and victims, to charge Felony Grand Theft
• Establishes retail crime restraining order, for up to two years, to address vandalism, assault and theft
• Imposes sentencing enhancements, of up to four-plus years, for high value property theft or destruction, addressing “smash and grab” crimes
• Addresses the root causes of retail crime and theft by allowing for an extended cap for probation, requiring courts to look at underlying causes of theft, and encouraging diversion and rehab for offenders who steal due to substance use or poverty

11 New Laws To Make California Safer

• AB 2943 (Zbur, Rivas): expands arrest for shoplifting, creates new penalties for organized retail theft, extends probation terms, and allows combining thefts to charge as grand theft 
• AB 3209 (Berman): Authorizes courts to impose Retail Crime Restraining Orders
• AB 1779 (Irwin): Restores cross jurisdictional charging
• AB 1960 (Speaker Rivas): Addresses “smash and grab” crimes with new sentencing enhancements for high values of property damage
• AB 1972 (Alanis): Expands CHP property crimes task forces to support increased levels of cargo theft 
• AB 1802 (Jones - Sawyer): Makes permanent the crime of organized retail theft and the operation of the CHP property crimes task forces 
• SB 1144 (Skinner): Disrupts the sale of stolen goods on online marketplaces by requiring that third-party sellers be certified, and bans sellers suspected of criminal activity from operating through online marketplace platforms
• SB 905 (Wiener): Removes the locked door loophole for automotive property thefts
• SB 982 (Wahab): Cements the work California has done on organized crime by making the law on organized retail theft permanent.
• SB 1242 (Min): Requires courts to impose higher penalties on criminals who create fires in order to engage in retail theft. 
• SB 1416 (Newman): Increases penalties on professional, organized retail theft, in particularly for significant, large-scale resale schemes

Speaker Rivas Meets In L.A., S.D. To Discuss Public Safety

Speaker Rivas met with local officials from Los Angeles and San Diego, discussing public safety, property crime and implementation of these new laws.

For additional information, please contact: Speaker Robert Rivas Press Secretary, Cynthia.Moreno@asm.ca.gov.

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Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas represents California’s 29th Assembly District, which includes all of San Benito County and portions of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara Counties. For a full biography of Speaker Rivas, click here.