Food, farms and animals
33 upcoming changes, soonest first.
October 2026 2
Gulf red snapper season closes for charter boats and headboats
The 147-day federal for-hire red snapper season in the Gulf, 19 days longer than the season before, ends. Federally permitted charter boats and headboats then have a zero red snapper limit in state or federal waters, unless the season reopens because catch came in under target.
Almond handlers get two more months each year to meet their inedible kernel obligation
California almond handlers must deliver their excess inedible kernels to the Almond Board or approved users by the end of November instead of the end of September after each crop year. The change is permanent.
November 2026 4
Guam bottomfish catch limit rises to 34,500 pounds and in-season closures end
The yearly catch limit for bottomfish in federal waters around Guam rises from 31,000 to 34,500 pounds. Instead of closing the fishery mid-season, any amount by which the 3-year average catch tops the limit is cut from the limit for the season after.
California raisin committee shrinks from 47 members to 21 and drops district seats
The Raisin Administrative Committee drops to 21 members from 47, loses producer district seats and the bargaining association seat, adds an unaffiliated producer seat, and needs 14 for a quorum instead of 25. It may also accept voluntary contributions.
U.S. drops white rust import limits on cut chrysanthemums
Fresh cut chrysanthemums and related flowers from countries with chrysanthemum white rust no longer need registered farms, farm inspections or a special white rust certificate to enter the U.S. Import rules for other cut flowers move from regulations to a USDA online database.
Bear baiting allowed again in Alaska national preserves as the Park Service drops recent limits
The National Park Service removes hunting, trapping and subsistence limits it added over the past decade, so bear baiting in Alaska preserves follows state law again and no permit is needed to collect animal parts for handicrafts. Closures again require local hearings and notices.
December 2026 2
Standardized foods such as cheddar and bread may use salt substitutes to cut sodium
FDA standards of identity that list salt as an ingredient now allow salt substitutes, such as potassium chloride, in foods like cheddar cheese, bread and canned salmon. Substitutes must appear in the ingredient list, and no new warning label is required.
USDA delays its horse soring inspection rule again
The Agriculture Department again delays the parts of its updated horse protection rule that a court left standing. When they apply, horse events must use USDA-authorized inspectors instead of industry-licensed ones, and reporting rules cover shows and sales of all breeds.
January 2027 24
Alcohol event ads at stores and bars may now use videos and large pictures
Ads for alcohol supplier instructional events and wine lectures at retailers may now include videos of up to 60 seconds and prominent pictures, ending the rule that images stay inconspicuous. The list of allowed ad types for tasting events is removed.
Broomrape weed program extended two years and weed grant rules tightened
The state's broomrape program, funded by assessments on processing tomato growers and handlers, now runs two more years and can cover other crops the secretary names. Weed control grants go only to weed management areas, which may spend up to 25% on overhead, up from 10%.
California seed registration fee rises from $40 to $100 a year
Seed labelers and sellers who must register with the state pay $100 a year to register, up from $40. Later, the state agriculture secretary may raise the fee by up to $50 a year, after consulting the Seed Advisory Board, to a cap of $300.
Canned and pickled food makers must register and pay $350 a year instead of a cannery license
The state cannery license is repealed. Commercial makers of acidified or low-acid foods, such as canned or pickled goods, must instead register with the state health department, follow a scheduled process from a processing authority, and pay an extra $350 a year.
Chain restaurants must offer at least one healthier children's meal
Restaurant chains with 20 or more locations that sell children's meals must offer at least one with no more than 550 calories, 700 mg of sodium and 15 grams of added sugar, plus two servings such as fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy, protein or whole grains.
Deer archery hunters are no longer barred from carrying a firearm
The ban on carrying a firearm, or having one within reach, while hunting deer during archery season is repealed. Before, only active or honorably retired peace officers were exempt from it.
Food facilities may use service windows over 432 square inches with two safeguards
Food facility service windows of 216 to 432 square inches need an air curtain or a self-closing device, and windows larger than 432 square inches are allowed if they have both. Service windows may be used only for handing out food, not as entrances.
Gill net permits can be transferred only once, and only to a family member
Commercial gill and trammel net permit holders with landings in 15 of the past 20 years may transfer a permit only once and only to a family member, under Fish and Game Commission rules. Before, any qualified person was eligible to receive it.
High-volume spay and neuter clinics don't need a separate surgery room
Veterinarians sterilizing 20 or more dogs, cats or rabbits within 12 hours are not required to do that surgery in a separate surgical room. Other veterinary premises rules still apply, including for ordinary spay and neuter work.
Hunters can transfer big game tags to their child or grandchild aged 17 or under
The Fish and Game Commission must set up a program letting a parent, guardian or grandparent transfer a deer, elk, antelope, bear or bighorn sheep tag to a licensed hunter 17 or younger who hunts with them. The giver pays a fee.
Meat and poultry license fees no longer expire, and mobile farmers' markets can get grants
License and renewal fees for meat processors, custom slaughterhouses, poultry plants and their inspectors, which were set to end, now stay with no end date. Certified mobile farmers' markets can get state nutrition incentive grants, and county seed law funding runs longer.
Natural Resources Secretary takes over Williamson Act fee waivers, with a solar option
Cities and counties can no longer waive or defer the fee to cancel a Williamson Act farmland contract; the Natural Resources Secretary decides, including for solar farms in critically overdrafted basins with a community benefit agreement. Certified solar projects meeting both terms void the contract.
North Fork Kings groundwater agency can fine overpumping and place liens for unpaid fees
The North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency may impose civil penalties on people who pump more groundwater than its rules allow, and may record liens on their county property for unpaid charges, lasting 10 years and renewable.
Owners of seized farm goods get 3 months, not 6, to claim the sale money
When a county agricultural commissioner sells a seized crop or other farm commodity that isn't returned, the owner now has at least 3 months, down from 6, to prove ownership and claim the money before it goes to the county.
Owners pay care costs for animals seized under any California law
Owners already owe the cost of seizing and caring for animals taken for neglect or under a warrant. That now covers animals seized under any California law, and an animal can be deemed abandoned if the owner doesn't pay and pick it up within 14 days.
Restaurants must unwrap vacuum-packed frozen fish before thawing it
Retail food facilities must take reduced-oxygen packaged fish labeled keep frozen fully out of its packaging before thawing. The law also redefines catering operations and adds definitions such as egg product and mechanically tenderized meat.
Rice Commission's purpose now includes keeping rice fields for wildlife habitat
State law now says the California Rice Commission is also needed to keep enough rice acreage planted each year to support the state's wildlife habitat goals. Its existing marketing and research roles stay the same.
Santa Cruz County restaurants can get up to 12 new neighborhood-only full liquor licenses
The state may issue up to five neighborhood-restricted full liquor licenses a year, 12 in all, to restaurants in listed Santa Cruz County census tracts. The licenses can't be sold for more than their fee or moved to another county.
State farm department may form advisory panels of farmers of color and small farmers
The Secretary of Food and Agriculture may set up two advisory committees, one for Black, Indigenous and other farmers of color and one for small-scale producers, made up of small and midsize socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
State program to list approved California vendors of healthy food for public agencies
If the Legislature funds it, the Office of Farm to Fork must set up a program and publish a list of approved vendors of whole or minimally processed California food grown with climate-smart methods, for schools, colleges and local agencies to buy from.
Vet-client relationships now expire, and shelters get a new shelter-only vet license
A vet-client relationship now ends a year after an in-person exam or six months after a video exam, replacing prescription time limits. Out-of-state vets may get a shelter-only license, and owners may no longer do surgery or dental work on their own animals, though routine tasks such as shots or castrating livestock stay allowed.
Wineries at farmers' markets may sell wine from bought grapes and share tastings
Winegrowers with a farmers' market permit may sell their own bottled wine even if they didn't grow the grapes, and up to three wineries, instead of one, may hold tastings at a market at once. Tasting staff need responsible beverage service training.
Washington sweet cherries must be bigger to ship under the federal marketing order
Minimum size for sweet cherries from the covered Washington counties rises from 54/64 to 57/64 inch across for 90 percent of a lot; Rainier, Royal Anne and other light cherries are exempt. The 12-row size goes and two larger sizes are added.
FDA ban on Red No. 3 dye in food goes ahead after it rejects objections
The FDA turned down objections and lifted its stay, so food, including dietary supplements, can no longer contain the color additive FD&C Red No. 3, found to cause cancer in male rats. Ingested drugs lose it about a year later.
April 2027 1
Online marketplaces barred from selling or shipping noxious weeds into California
Online marketplaces may not facilitate sales or shipments of noxious weeds to California addresses. After a written warning, the state agriculture secretary may fine $25,000, then $50,000, then $75,000 per violation plus cleanup costs, unless the marketplace shows reasonable controls.