CAL.Regulation
California bans manufacture and sale of toys with AI companion chatbots until 2031
California chaptered Senate Bill 867 on September 10, 2026, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, exchange, and possession for sale of any toy that includes an AI companion chatbot. The four-year moratorium runs through December 31, 2030, covering physical products designed, marketed, or manufactured for play by children under 16. Violations carry the same civil liability provisions as California's companion-chatbot operator law.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Reuters, Mondaq (Ballard Spahr LLP)
Key points
- Chapter 189, Statutes of 2026, adds Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code section 22604.5, which is repealed January 1, 2031.California Legislative InformationMondaq (Ballard Spahr LLP)
- "Toy" means a physical product designed, marketed, or manufactured for play by children under 16.California Legislative Information
- Customer-service bots, game-limited characters, and standalone voice assistants that do not sustain relationships fall outside the definition.California Legislative Information
- Violations carry the same civil liability provisions applicable to companion-chatbot operators.California Legislative Information
- The ban offers no compliance path; adding filters, parental controls, or session limits does not avoid the prohibition.Mondaq (Ballard Spahr LLP)
Sources3 articles across 3 outlets
California Legislative Information
Mondaq (Ballard Spahr LLP)
Reuters
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RegulationCal.California SB 867 (Toys: Companion Chatbots)ComplianceRegulatoryTechnologyFor governanceFor vendors