AB-1640 • 2026

California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act.

Budget

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Stefani
Last action: 2026-04-08
Official status: From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details about exceptions to the prohibition on selling or transferring reservations at a higher price.

California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act

The California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act prohibits selling or transferring restaurant reservations for more than what was originally paid, and increases the font size requirement for clear disclosures on websites.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits a person from selling or transferring, or facilitating the sale or transfer of, a reservation for a restaurant at an amount higher than that person paid to acquire it, except as specified.
Authorizes the Attorney General, county counsel, city attorneys, and individuals harmed by violations to recover civil penalties.
Creates in the State Treasury the California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act Fund where recovered penalties are deposited.
Increases the font size requirement from 14-point to 16-point for clear and conspicuous disclosures on websites.

Who It Names or Affects

Restaurants
People who sell or transfer restaurant reservations
Website operators that list restaurants

Terms To Know

Reservation: A booking made in advance for a table at a restaurant.
Civil Penalty: Money paid as punishment for breaking the law.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how recovered penalties will be used beyond stating they are available upon appropriation by the Legislature.
It is unclear what specific exceptions exist to the prohibition on selling or transferring reservations at a higher price.

Bill History

2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-03-25 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2026-03-03 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2026-03-02 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-02 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD.
2026-01-28 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee February 27.
2026-01-27 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1640, as amended, Stefani.
Food delivery platforms.
California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act.
Existing law regulates various businesses to preserve and regulate competition and prohibit unfair practices, among other purposes. Existing law imposes various business practice restrictions on a food delivery platform, defined as an online business that acts as an intermediary between consumers and multiple food facilities to submit food orders from a consumer to a participating food facility, and to arrange for the delivery of the order from the food facility to the consumer. Existing law prohibits a food delivery platform from arranging the delivery of an order from a food facility without first obtaining an agreement with the food facility expressly authorizing the platform to take orders and deliver meals, as prescribed.
This bill would
prohibit a person from selling or transferring, or facilitating the sale or transfer of, a reservation for a restaurant, as defined, for an amount higher than that person paid to acquire the reservation, except as specified.
The bill would authorize the Attorney General, any county counsel or city attorney, and an individual or entity who suffers actual harm as a result of a violation of the act to recover specified civil penalties. The bill would also create in the State Treasury the California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act Fund into which any civil penalty recovered by the Attorney General pursuant to the act would be deposited and would make the moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purpose of the act.
Existing law imposes various business practice restrictions on a food delivery platform, defined as an online business that acts as an intermediary between consumers and multiple food facilities to submit food and beverage orders from a consumer to a participating food facility, and to arrange for, or to complete, the delivery of the order from the food facility to the consumer.
Existing law requires a listing website, as defined, to provide specified information in a clear and conspicuous manner, including a requirement that the website clearly and conspicuously disclose if an order placed through a telephone number or other interface on the listing website’s internet website or application may result in a fee, commission, or cost paid to a party other than the food facility, as provided. Existing law defines “clearly and conspicuously” to mean
in a font no smaller than boldface, 14-point type, clearly separate from any other language on the page.
This bill would revise the definition of “clearly and conspicuously” to increase the type size to 16 point.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF