AB-468 • 2026

Crimes: looting.

Crime Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Gabriel (A) , Irwin (A) , Pacheco
Last action: 2025-10-10
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 533, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information about what happens between when an evacuation order ends and a year passes, nor does it specify which local agencies do not have to pay extra costs.

Laws About Looting During Disasters

This law makes it a crime to steal or damage property during an evacuation order or warning, and increases the punishment for certain types of theft in these areas.

What This Bill Does

Defines looting as stealing or damaging property during an evacuation area or warning.
Includes first-degree burglary, second-degree burglary, grand theft, trespassing, and car theft as crimes that can be considered looting if they happen in an evacuation zone.
Expands the definition of an evacuation zone to include areas under evacuation orders or warnings for up to a year after the order ends, and up to three years if construction is happening.
Increases penalties for these offenses committed within an evacuation zone.

Who It Names or Affects

People who commit theft or damage property during evacuations.

Terms To Know

Evacuation Area: A place where people have been told to leave because of a danger, like a wildfire.
Looting: Stealing or damaging property during an emergency situation.

Limits and Unknowns

The law only works if another bill called Senate Bill 571 is also passed.
Local agencies do not have to pay extra costs because of this new law.

Bill History

2025-10-10 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 533, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-10 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-24 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-12 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 3376.).
2025-09-12 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-11 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 2925.).
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Ordered to second reading.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Withdrawn from committee.
2025-09-06 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
Senate Rule 29.3(b) suspended. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 2491.)
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on RLS. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29). Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-08-18 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-15 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 15).
2025-07-02 California Legislative Information
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-06-26 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-18 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-04 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 1989.)
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (April 8).
2025-04-03 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-04-02 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-25 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-02-07 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 9.
2025-02-06 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 468, Gabriel.
Crimes: looting.
Existing law defines the crime of burglary as entering specified buildings, places, or vehicles with the intent to commit grand or petty theft or a felony. Existing law clarifies that a structure designed for habitation is being used for dwelling purposes if, at the time of the burglary, it was not occupied solely because a disaster caused the occupants to leave the premises.
This bill would specify that neither the fact that the structure entered has been damaged by a natural or other disaster, nor the extent of the damage, shall preclude conviction.
Existing law defines looting as the commission of certain offenses during and within an affected county in a state of emergency or local emergency, as specified. Existing law includes any 2nd-degree burglary or grand theft in the definition of looting,
and makes looting based on those offenses punishable by either imprisonment in a county jail for one year or as a felony. Existing law also makes the crime of looting based on petty theft punishable as a misdemeanor.
Existing regulations define an “evacuation area” as a geographic area from which civilians have been evacuated pursuant to an evacuation order and where movement and entry are controlled by fire and law enforcement personnel having jurisdictional authority. Existing regulations define an “evacuation warning” as alerting community members in a defined area of a potential threat to life or property.
This bill would recast the offense of looting to include first degree burglary, 2nd degree burglary, grand theft, trespass, and theft from a vehicle, when those offenses are committed in an evacuation zone, to the crime of looting. The bill would also, for the purposes of
the offense of looting, define an evacuation zone to include an evacuation area or an area subject to an evacuation warning, and to include any residential dwelling units in such an area for a period of one year after the evacuation order, or up to 3 years if the property is undergoing construction. The bill would impose increased penalties for these offenses committed
within an evacuation zone, as specified.
By increasing the punishment of specified crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
This bill would make the operation of its provisions contingent upon the enactment of Senate Bill 571 of the 2025–26
Regular Session.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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