AB 1331: California Bans Workplace Surveillance in Bathrooms From January 1, 2027
What changed
AB 1331 (Chapter 851, Statutes of 2026) bars employers from using workplace surveillance tools to monitor employees in a workplace bathroom unless a court orders it. Employees may leave surveillance tools they carry outside when they enter a bathroom, with exceptions such as badges or alarms required for identification or safety that do not record audio or video and have no built-in AI. The Labor Commissioner and public prosecutors can enforce it, with a penalty of up to $500 per violation. It takes effect January 1, 2027.
Who it applies to
California employers, including public employers, labor contractors and their client employers, that use workplace surveillance tools such as video, audio, geolocation or time-tracking systems.
Key dates
- Effective date:
- January 1, 2027
Workplace surveillance restrictions on restroom monitoring take effect; employers must comply or face civil penalties.
What employers may need to do
- Stop any monitoring of employees in workplace bathrooms by January 1, 2027, unless a court orders it.
- Let employees leave surveillance devices they carry outside the bathroom, unless federal or state law requires them to stay available during meal or rest periods.
- Check that any badge or alarm employees must carry into a bathroom does not record audio or video and has no built-in AI.
Official source
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1331Detected by RegWatch monitoring on October 1, 2026. Always confirm details against the official source above — this page is a summary, not legal advice.
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