SB1218 - Vehicle immobilization: illegal dumping violation penalties.

Enrolled August 27, 2026 Passed IN Senate August 25, 2026 Passed IN Assembly August 24, 2026 Amended IN Assembly August 17, 2026 Amended IN Assembly July 01, 2026 Amended IN Senate May 14, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 1218 Introduced by Senator Arreguín (Coauthors: Senators Archuleta, Menjivar, Richardson, and Seyarto) (Coauthor: Assembly Member Bonta) February 19, 2026 An act to add Section 22651.10 to the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1218, Arreguín. Vehicle immobilization: illegal dumping violation penalties. Existing law authorizes a peace officer, as defined, or a regularly employed and salaried employee who is engaged in directing traffic or enforcing parking laws and regulations, as specified, to immobilize a vehicle with a device made for that purpose, if the vehicle is found upon a highway or public lands within the officer or employee’s jurisdiction, and the vehicle has been issued 5 or more notices of parking violations that are delinquent because the owner or person in control of the vehicle has not responded within the prescribed time period, or the registered owner has been issued 5 or more notices for failure to pay or failure to appear in court for traffic violations, as specified. Existing law allows a vehicle to be immobilized until the owner or person in control of the vehicle presents the immobilizing law enforcement agency with specified information, including evidence that all outstanding parking penalties have been paid. Existing law makes it unlawful and punishable as an infraction for a person to dump or cause to be dumped waste matter upon a public or private highway or road, upon private property without the consent of the owner, or in or upon a public park or other public property, as specified. Existing law also makes it unlawful and punishable as a misdemeanor for a person to place, deposit, or dump, or cause to be placed, deposited, or dumped, waste matter in commercial quantities, as specified. This bill would similarly authorize the immobilization of a vehicle with a device made for that purpose if the registered owner of the vehicle has been issued a certain number of notices of illegal dumping violation that are delinquent, or is known to have been issued a certain number notices for failure to pay or failure to appear in court for an illegal dumping violation, as specified. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 22651.10 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read: 22651.10. (a) A peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, or a regularly employed and salaried employee who is engaged in code enforcement, of a jurisdiction in which a vehicle is located may immobilize the vehicle with a device designed and manufactured for the immobilization of vehicles, on a highway or any public lands located within the territorial limits in which the officer or employee may act if the vehicle is found upon a highway or public lands and the registered owner of the vehicle has been issued five or more notices of a violation of subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 374.3 of the Penal Code, or two or more notices of a violation of subdivision (h) of Section 374.3 of the Penal Code, that are delinquent, or is known to have been issued five or more notices for failure to pay or failure to appear in court for a violation of subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 374.3 of the Penal Code or two or more notices for failure to pay or failure to appear in court for a violation of subdivision (h) of Section 374.3 of the Penal Code, for which the court record shows the case has not been disposed. (b) The vehicle may be immobilized until that person furnishes to the immobilizing code or law enforcement agency all of the following: (1) Evidence of their identity. (2) An address within this state at which they can be located. (3) Satisfactory evidence that the full amount of penalties for violations of Section 374.3 of the Penal Code has been deposited for all notices of violation issued to the person and that bail has been deposited for all violations of Section 374.3 of the Penal Code that have not been cleared, or proof of an active payment plan for those issued penalties. Evidence of current registration shall be produced after a vehicle has been immobilized or, at the discretion of the immobilizing code or law enforcement agency, a notice to appear for violation of subdivision (a) of Section 4000 shall be issued to that person. (c) (1) A registered owner or person lawfully entitled to possession of a vehicle that has been immobilized pursuant to this section who believes the vehicle was immobilized in error may request an administrative review by the immobilizing code or law enforcement agency. (2) The immobilizing code or law enforcement agency shall conduct the administrative review as soon as practicable, but no later than two business days after receiving the request. The review may be conducted in person, by telephone, or by other means established by the immobilizing code or law enforcement agency. (3) During the administrative review, the registered owner or person lawfully entitled to possession of the vehicle may present evidence that the vehicle was immobilized in error, including, but not limited to, evidence that the vehicle or registered owner was incorrectly identified, that the registered owner or person lawfully entitled to possession of the vehicle is not the person subject to the delinquent notices of violation described in subdivision (a), or that the requirements for immobilization under this section were otherwise not satisfied. (4) (A) If the immobilizing code or law enforcement agency determines that the vehicle was immobilized in error or that the requirements of subdivision (a) were not satisfied, the agency shall order the immediate removal of the immobilization device at no cost to the registered owner or person lawfully entitled to possession of the vehicle. (B) If the immobilizing code or law enforcement agency determines that the immobilization was valid, the agency shall provide the registered owner or person lawfully entitled to possession of the vehicle with a written decision stating the basis for that determination. (5) This subdivision does not limit any other remedy available under law or affect the authority to immobilize a vehicle when the requirements of subdivision (a) have been satisfied. (d) A person, other than a person authorized under subdivision (a), shall not immobilize a vehicle.