California’s Senate Bill 805, focused on crimes of impersonation, became law on September 20, 2025, following its passage through both houses of the state legislature and being chaptered by the Secretary of State as Chapter 126, Statutes of 2025. The bill revises existing prohibitions against falsely representing oneself as a peace officer, firefighter, or public employee, extending the scope of the offense and adding new requirements for law enforcement identification.
Previously, California law prohibited the credible impersonation of specific public servants – peace officers, firefighters, and employees of public utilities or government agencies – with the intent to defraud. SB 805 broadens this definition to explicitly include impersonating any law enforcement officer, encompassing federal agents as well. The legislation also expands the means by which impersonation can occur, covering any method used for fraudulent purposes.
A key component of the new law, effective January 1, 2026, mandates that law enforcement officers operating in California without a uniform visibly display identification. This identification must include the officer’s agency and either their name or badge number, with limited exceptions. The bill defines personnel of a law enforcement agency to include both state and federal officers.
The bill was authored by State Senators Sasha Renée Pérez and Scott Wiener, with principal co-authorship from Sade Elhawary, Ortega, Solache, Arreguín, Caballero, Gonzalez, Becker, Menjivar, Padilla, Smallwood-Cuevas, Mark González, Lee, Schultz, Ávila Farías, Fong, and Kalra.
Legislative votes demonstrate broad support for the measure. On April 23, 2025, the Senate passed the bill with a vote of 7-0, with a recommendation to the Appropriations Committee. A subsequent vote on May 8, 2025, saw the bill pass the Senate Consent Calendar with 36 votes in favor, zero opposed, and four not voting.
The passage of SB 805 is expected to impose a state-mandated local program, due to the expansion of criminal offenses and the new duties placed on local law enforcement agencies. Public comments were received on September 20, 2025, coinciding with the bill’s chaptering.
As of February 15, 2026, the California legislature has not indicated any further action regarding SB 805, and the implementation of the identification requirement for non-uniformed officers remains scheduled for January 1, 2026.
