CA AB1609: Customer service chatbots.

In one paragraph

California's AB 1609 applies to businesses with over $500 million in national gross annual revenue. They may not represent that a customer service chatbot is human, and must clearly disclose that it is artificially generated if a reasonable person would likely be misled. During regular business hours every customer service platform must let customers request a human agent, and the business must make a good faith effort to connect within 15 minutes or book a call within one business day, with holds of at most 15 minutes (one hour total). Public prosecutors may seek up to $5,000, then $10,000 per violation. Signed September 28, 2026 (Chapter 733); effective January 1, 2027.

Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.

What it means for business

Businesses with over $500 million in national revenue, from January 1, 2027: never present a chatbot as human, disclose it when people are likely misled, offer a way to request a human agent and try in good faith to connect within 15 minutes or by appointment. Up to $5,000, then $10,000.

Key provisions

1. 1New Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 22625-22629; customer service chatbot: an AI system with a natural language interface giving adaptive, human-like responses, used for direct customer service or support (including technical assistance) on the sale or delivery of goods or services; large private business: over $500,000,000 in gross annual revenue nationally; customers are natural persons with a California account address
2. 2A large private business may not represent that a customer service chatbot is a human, and must give a clear and conspicuous disclosure, in the chatbot's medium, that it is artificially generated and not human if a reasonable person is likely to be misled to believe they are interacting with a human (§ 22626)
3. 3During at least regular business hours, every customer service platform, including online chatbot and telephone service, must offer a simple way to request a human customer service agent, such as commonly understood commands, prompts, menu selections or verbal requests (§ 22627)
4. 4Good faith effort to connect the customer to an agent within 15 minutes or give a specific appointment within one business day (businesses subject to 16 Cal. Code Regs. § 1707.2 may instead return the call within one business hour); holds after connection of no more than 15 minutes at a time and one hour in total; online businesses with phone service must post the number clearly on their website
5. 5The 15-minute rule does not apply to email, web forms or voicemail; businesses need not add channels not offered as of January 1, 2027, or start phone service if they have none and customers can promptly reach an agent; commercially reasonable compliance standards satisfy the good faith requirement
6. 6Enforced only by public prosecutors (no private right of action): civil penalty up to $5,000 for an initial violation and $10,000 for each subsequent one; no violation where compliance is prevented by unforeseen circumstances or emergencies such as grid emergencies, power shutoffs or IT or telecom outages
7. 7Exempt: services provided under and in compliance with CPUC General Order 133 (telecommunications) or 103-A (water), exclusive business lines, hospitals' health care communications, and consumer reporting agencies
8. 8Signed September 28, 2026 (Chapter 733, Statutes of 2026); effective January 1, 2027

Latest legislative action

Sep 28, 2026. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 733, Statutes of 2026.

Sponsors

Roll call votes