Consumer Driving Data Protection Act of 2026.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide details on penalties for non-compliance or how it affects drivers who choose not to use telematics.

Consumer Driving Data Protection Act

The Consumer Driving Data Protection Act allows drivers to opt for telematics data in their driving records and sets rules on how insurance companies can use this information.

What This Bill Does

• Allows consumers to choose if they want their driving record based on telematics data, which tracks how they drive.
• Insurance companies cannot use telematics data for anything other than setting car insurance rates.
• Requires insurance companies using telematics to provide certain information about their programs when applying for rate changes.
• Prohibits insurance companies from offering discounts tied to participation in a telematics program unless approved by the commissioner.
• Sets rules on how consent and privacy must be handled for collecting and using telematics data.

Who It Names or Affects

• Drivers who opt to use telematics for their driving records
• Insurance companies that use telematics to set rates

Terms To Know

telematics

Technology that tracks how a car is driven and the conditions it drives in.

connected vehicle location access

A service allowing someone outside of a vehicle to track its location, like through GPS or an app.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if insurance companies do not follow the rules about telematics data.
• It is unclear how this will affect drivers who choose not to use telematics for their driving records.

Official Summary Text

AB 1833, as amended, McKinnor.
Vehicles: access to connected vehicle service.
Consumer Driving Data Protection Act of 2026.
The Insurance Rate Reduction and Reform Act of 1988, an initiative measure enacted by Proposition 103, as approved by the voters at the November 8, 1988, statewide general election, prohibits specified insurance rates from being approved or remaining in effect that are excessive, inadequate, unfairly discriminatory, or otherwise in violation of the act. Under the act, rates and premiums for automobile insurance are determined based on specified factors, including the insured’s driving safety record. Existing law authorizes the provisions of Proposition 103 to be amended by a statute that furthers the purposes of the act and is enacted by the Legislature with a
2
/
3
vote.
This bill, the Consumer Driving Data Protection Act of 2026, would authorize a consumer to opt to use telematics to establish their driving record, thus amending Proposition 103. The bill would prohibit the use of telematics data for a purpose other than rating private passenger automobile insurance. The bill would require a rate application under which telematics would be used to establish an insured’s driving record to include specified materials related to the insurer’s telematics program. This bill would prohibit an insurer that uses telematics from taking specified actions, including conditioning eligibility for a discount upon participation in a telematics program, unless the discount is approved by the commissioner. The bill would also set forth consent and privacy requirements for the collection and use of telematics data. The bill would authorize the commissioner to impose specified penalties for violations of the bill’s provisions, including civil penalties
and suspension of an insurer’s telematics program. The bill would declare that its provisions further the purposes of Proposition 103.
Existing law requires, beginning on January 1, 2028, for vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2028, that have connected vehicle location access, a covered provider, defined as a vehicle manufacturer that provides connected vehicle service, as defined, to provide a mechanism that can be used by a driver who is inside a vehicle to immediately disable connected vehicle location access. For these purposes, “connected vehicle location access” is a type of connected vehicle service that allows a person who is outside of a vehicle to view or track the location of the vehicle, including, but not limited to, a location determined by a Global Positioning System, whether through the internet, an app-based technology, or any
other remote wireless connectivity technology.
This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to the definition of “connected vehicle location access.”

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF