California has prohibited the sale and manufacture of most new fur products statewide since January 1, 2023, making it the first U.S. state to put such a restriction into effect.
The policy is not a new 2026 development. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 44 on October 12, 2019, and lawmakers gave businesses more than three years to prepare before the operative date.
Under California Fish and Game Code Section 2023, businesses generally may not manufacture a fur product for sale in California or sell, offer, display, trade or otherwise distribute one for monetary or nonmonetary consideration.
What the law covers—and what it does not
The statute defines a fur product broadly. It can include clothing and body coverings as well as fashion accessories, handbags, shoes, slippers, hats, earmuffs, scarves, shawls, gloves, jewelry, keychains, toys, trinkets and home décor made wholly or partly from fur.
But it is not a ban on every animal-derived material or every transaction involving fur. The statutory definition excludes leather that has had the hair removed, cowhide with hair attached, deerskin, sheepskin, goatskin and preserved taxidermy skins. It also excludes certain products governed by other sections of state law.
The prohibition itself does not apply to used fur products. It also provides exceptions for religious uses; traditional tribal, cultural or spiritual uses by members of specified Native American tribes; and activities expressly authorized by federal law. Sellers or traders of exempt products generally must keep transaction records for at least one year.
That detail matters because descriptions such as “California banned fur” can sound broader than the text of the law. The more precise statement is that California banned the sale and manufacture of most new fur products while preserving defined exceptions.
Penalties and the wider shift in fashion
Violations can carry civil penalties assessed per fur product. The law allows a penalty of up to $500 for a first violation, up to $750 for another violation within one year, and up to $1,000 for a violation occurring within one year of a second or subsequent violation. Authorities may also seek investigation costs, attorney fees and expert-witness fees in a civil action.
When Newsom signed AB 44, his office described it as first-in-the-nation legislation and placed it within a broader package of animal-welfare measures. The governor’s announcement emphasized that the law covered new products rather than used fur and noted exclusions including leather, cowhide, shearling, taxidermy and religious uses.
Supporters see the law as a move away from treating animal pelts as an ordinary fashion material when alternatives are widely available. For retailers, it also creates a compliance obligation: products must be evaluated against the statute’s definitions rather than simply marketed under broad labels such as “faux” or “vintage.”
California had already ended recreational and commercial trapping for fur through a separate 2019 law. The Department of Fish and Wildlife explains that the trapping changes took effect in 2020, while AB 44’s restrictions on fur-product sales became operative three years later.
The result is a statewide rule that has now been in force for more than three years. Its significance remains historic, but accuracy requires treating it as an established law—not a newly announced ban.
Sources
- California Legislature: AB 44 bill text and Fish and Game Code Section 2023
- Governor of California: Newsom signs animal-welfare legislation
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: fur-law information
