New California laws on bars, ghost guns, schools taking effect on July 1

ByKate Eby KGO logo

Friday, July 1, 2022

New California laws that will take effect on Jan. 1

New California laws 2022 taking effect on Jan. 1 include wildfire management, lower speed limits, cocktails and higher minimum wages.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Every year, new laws are approved in California in the hope of tackling the problems people face in the Golden State.

Those taking effect on July 1, 2022 range from school start times, guns and ammunition, and minimum wage.

Here are some new laws that might affect you.

Bartending Safety

Under a new state law, anyone who pours, shakes or mixes an alcoholic drink is required to have training in order to serve more responsibly and reduce alcohol-related dangers like DUIs. The Responsible Beverage Service Training Program is the result of a bill that passed in 2017. It's a massive undertaking; 56,000 businesses statewide are required to train their employees, and have 60 days to do so. The law applies to alcohol servers, a wide ranging category covering bartenders, bouncers, and servers. Managers also have to undergo training.

Late School Start

Children will have a chance to get more sleep, as a new law limiting how early school can start takes effect. At middle schools, classes can start no earlier than 8 a.m. For high schools, the limit is 8:30 am. Rural school districts have an exemption from the law. The goal is to reduce adolescent sleep deprivation.

Gun Safety

Two new laws are related to guns and ammunition. California is expanding its requirements for microstamping. According to the Giffords Law Center, "Microstamping technology causes a firearm to etch a unique microscopic code onto ammunition cartridge cases when the gun is fired that identifies the firearm's make, model, and serial number." This information can help law enforcement in shooting investigations. Beginning July 1, 2022, the state will tighten up which firearms can be sold in California in order to ensure they comply with the microstamping requirement.

Ghost Guns

A loophole for ghost guns when it comes to domestic violence restraining orders and red flag laws is closing. Ghost guns are unregistered and untraceable firearms that can be assembled at home. Effective July 1, 2022, these will be included in California's red flag laws, which allow law enforcement and the courts to remove weapons from a person believed to be dangerous in order to prevent crimes. Ghost guns can also be included in domestic violence restraining orders.

Minimum Wage

There is no change to the statewide minimum wage, but a dozen cities are adopting increases. In the Bay Area, that includes Alameda, Berkeley, Fremont, San Francisco, Emeryville, Foster City, and Milpitas. The next time California plans to increase the state minimum wage is January 1, 2023, when it will rise to $15 per hour. Most Bay Area cities already pay more than that.

Golden Gate Bridge Toll

Okay, this isn't a new law, but it is increasing on July 1.

It's part of a multi-year toll increase program approved by the Golden Gate Bridge Board of Directors in March 2019. Go here for a look at the changes.

Gas Prices

On July 1, the annual gas tax increase will take effect, raising the cost across the state by around 3 cents a gallon. Take a look at the full details here.

The video in the media player above shows laws that took effect January 1, 2022.