Why do San Diego stores charge for paper bags now? Is there a plastic bag ban?
Since Jan 1, 2026, California law (SB 1053) lets grocery, pharmacy, convenience and liquor stores hand out only recycled paper bags at checkout, for at least 10 cents each. Bring your own bag to skip the charge.
- Took effect
- Jan 1, 2026
- Minimum bag charge
- $0.10
- Free for
- WIC & CalFresh
- Recycled content
- 50% by 2028
SB 1053 (Blakespear)
Per recycled paper bag
EBT or WIC card/voucher
Postconsumer minimum from Jan 1, 2028
The short version
- SB 1053 by Sen. Catherine Blakespear took effect Jan 1, 2026 and ended the thicker "reusable" plastic checkout bags.
- Covered stores must charge at least $0.10 per recycled paper bag, including for curbside pickup and home delivery, per CalRecycle.
- Shoppers paying with WIC or CalFresh EBT get their bags free.
- From Jan 1, 2028, the paper bags must contain at least 50% postconsumer recycled material.
- Produce and bulk-food bags, prescription bags and dry-cleaning bags aren't "carryout bags" under the law.
If your grocery store, pharmacy or corner liquor store stopped offering plastic bags this year, that's state law, not store policy. SB 1053, written by Sen. Catherine Blakespear, took effect Jan 1, 2026. Covered stores can now hand out only recycled paper bags at checkout, and they must charge at least 10 cents a bag, according to CalRecycle.
What changed
California's first ban (passed in 2014 and upheld by voters in 2016) outlawed thin plastic bags but let stores sell thicker plastic ones labeled reusable and recyclable. Blakespear's office said those were rarely reused or recycled, and cited CalRecycle figures showing grocery and merchandise bag disposal rose from 157,385 tons when the ban passed to 231,072 tons by 2022, a 47% increase. SB 1053 closed that loophole.
Before and after Jan 1, 2026
| Before | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Bags at checkout | Recycled paper or thick plastic labeled reusable | Recycled paper only |
| Minimum charge | 10 cents | 10 cents |
| Recycled content | Paper: 20–40% postconsumer | Paper: 50% postconsumer required from Jan 1, 2028 |
| Applies to delivery and pickup | — | Yes: checkout, self-checkout, in-store pickup, curbside and home delivery |
Before
- Bags at checkout
- Recycled paper or thick plastic labeled reusable
- Minimum charge
- 10 cents
- Recycled content
- Paper: 20–40% postconsumer
- Applies to delivery and pickup
- —
Now
- Bags at checkout
- Recycled paper only
- Minimum charge
- 10 cents
- Recycled content
- Paper: 50% postconsumer required from Jan 1, 2028
- Applies to delivery and pickup
- Yes: checkout, self-checkout, in-store pickup, curbside and home delivery
Which stores it covers
CalRecycle lists most grocery stores, retail stores with a pharmacy, convenience stores, food marts and liquor stores. Restaurants and stores that don't sell food or alcohol fall outside the state law, which is why your takeout or a clothing store may still bag things differently.
What's still allowed
- Produce and bulk bags inside the store. Since Jan 1, 2025 (SB 1046), these must be recycled paper or certified compostable, and you can skip them entirely for bananas and oranges.
- Pharmacy bags for prescriptions.
- Handle-less bags that protect an item before it goes into your carryout bag.
- Dry-cleaning and laundry garment bags.
- Your own bags, of any kind. The law doesn't ban selling bags, only what's handed out at checkout.
If a store is breaking the rules
CalRecycle doesn't enforce the bag law. Cities, counties and the Attorney General do. You can file a complaint with the Attorney General online or by calling (800) 952-5225, or contact the local District Attorney or City Attorney.
San Diego also has its own plastic rules for restaurants: the city's Single Use Plastic Reduction Ordinance bans foam takeout containers and cups and says straws and utensils are given only on request, fully in force since April 1, 2024. Other add-on charges you might see at the register: restaurant surcharges and the local sales tax rate.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on October 31, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
CalRecycle · checked 2026-10-31
SB 1053 effective Jan 1, 2026; recycled paper only; $0.10 minimum incl. delivery/pickup; 50% postconsumer by 2028; SB 1046 pre-checkout bags; exclusions; enforcement and reporting.
Office of Sen. Catherine Blakespear · 2025-12-30
Loophole closed; 157,385 → 231,072 tons (47%) per CalRecycle; author and co-author.
California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General · checked 2026-10-31
10-cent minimum; EBT/WIC customers get bags free; complaint line (800) 952-5225.
- Background[Archives] Single-Use Carryout Bag Ban
CalRecycle · archived 2025-12-31
Prior SB 270 rules: store categories, 20–40% recycled content, thicker reusable plastic bags allowed until Jan 1, 2026.
- BackgroundSB 1053 General Questions
StopWaste (Alameda County Waste Management Authority) · checked 2026-10-31
WIC and CalFresh/SNAP customers get bags free; restaurants and non-food retailers outside SB 1053.
City of San Diego · 2024-03
Foam foodservice ban; straws/utensils on request; full compliance April 1, 2024.