California has a legislative tradition of introducing new laws on New Year’s Day; however, not all are immediately implemented or enforced. Assembly Bill 413 is an example of delayed enforcement because Governor Gavin Newsom signed it in October 2023 for same-day incorporation into the California Code. Nonetheless, AB 413 included provisions that gave cities one year to prepare for the new “Daylighting Law.”
The new law seeks to augment pedestrian safety through changes to public parking rules. Essentially, it prohibits parking within 20 feet of crosswalks. Under California law, all intersections feature crosswalks even if they are not marked with signage or painted lines, so daylighting also applies to rural crossroads. The 20-foot restriction is on the “approach side” of the crosswalk; in other words, it follows the direction of vehicular traffic. If the intersection features a curb extension for the crosswalk, the distance is reduced to 15 feet.
Improving Pedestrian Safety with Daylighting
Improving visibility is the main objective of daylighting laws, which many traffic safety researchers consider crucial for cyclists and pedestrians. The goal is to clear obstructions from intersections and crosswalks, thus making them safer for everyone, particularly pedestrians and cyclists. When the California Assembly debated AB 413, legislators reviewed studies and reports from other states with daylighting laws; they specifically focused on research that shows daylighting can reduce pedestrian accidents by up to 30% at busy intersections.
In 2024, the California Office of Traffic Safety reported 1,108 pedestrian deaths and 125 fatal accidents involving cyclists, thus making the Golden State one of the deadliest in this regard. Pedestrian accidents are on the rise and can cause serious injuries and death. In 2022, the city of Fremont, California alone experienced 39 pedestrian accidents. Surprisingly, California was an outlier state until AB 413 passed; as of 2025, Hawaii, Kansas, and a handful of other states have not codified daylighting laws. As a state known for its strong car culture despite a growing pedestrian population, California can certainly benefit from daylighting; however, legislators who opposed AB 413 cited its potential for overzealous parking enforcement.
Daylighting a crosswalk can be accomplished with various strategies. In New Jersey, for example, the City of Hoboken installed bicycle racks to mark the distance. Some California municipalities are opting to mark the distance with red paint; the City of Santa Clara was among the first to do this, but another strategy called “bulb-outs” is more effective. Bulb-outs involve remodeling the corners for maximum visibility and to better accommodate wheelchair ramps. In 2025, the San Francisco Council approved motions to bulb-out corners at the intersections with a history of accidents involving pedestrians and bike riders.
Ongoing Implementation of Daylighting in California
The legislators who opposed some sections of AB 413 were concerned about how cities would create rules to enforce the new statutory provisions. More specifically, they cited concerns over the law becoming a cash cow for some municipalities. In May 2025, the Davis Vanguard newspaper reported that the Parking Enforcement Team of the San Diego Police Department had issued more than 4,000 tickets for daylighting infractions.
When the law went into effect on New Year’s Day 2025, parking enforcement officers issued approximately 1,500 warnings before they started writing tickets in February. With monetary amounts ranging from $100 to $117 per infraction, the City of San Diego could generate over $450,000 in revenue if all tickets are paid. Other California newspapers, such as The East Bay Times and the Santa Barbara Independent, accused city councils of “feeding the daylighting cash cow” at the expense of drivers.
Non-profit organizations like CalBike and California Walks are urging all cities to implement daylight measures. It is important to note that AB 413 includes many provisions for enforcement; in San Francisco, for example, some intersections mark the daylighting distance with red paint at 10 feet. Council members can shorten the distance if they approve municipal ordinances that justify them. In May 2025, a CalBike press release noted that the 10-foot markings in some San Francisco corners lacked justification.
In Santa Barbara, while some residents of Isla Vista complained in April about a lack of daylighting enforcement, many drivers urged municipal leaders to refrain from turning the new law into a cash cow. The reality of the new California daylighting law is that it may soon need amendments or the involvement of the Office of Traffic Safety to foster statewide uniformity.