California legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
California AB1857: Unlawfully restrictive covenants: grocery stores and supermarkets.
Status: Chaptered, September 30, 2026
What the bill says
An act to add Sections 714.8 and 714.8.1 to the Civil Code, relating to land use. land use Unlawfully restrictive covenants: grocery stores and supermarkets. Existing law makes void and unenforceable any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any deed, contract, security instrument, or other instrument affecting the transfer or sale of any interest in real property that effectively prohibits or restricts certain land uses, including the installation or use of a solar energy system or construction or use of an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit on certain lots…
From the chaptered text, September 30, 2026:
An act to add Sections 714.8 and 714.8.1 to the Civil Code, relating to land use. land use Unlawfully restrictive covenants: grocery stores and supermarkets. Existing law makes void and unenforceable any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any deed, contract, security instrument, or other instrument affecting the transfer or sale of any interest in real property that effectively prohibits or restricts certain land uses, including the installation or use of a solar energy system or construction or use of an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit on certain lots. Existing law authorizes a person who holds or is acquiring an ownership interest of record in property that the person believes is the subject of an unlawfully restrictive covenant, as specified, to record a restrictive covenant modification document. Before recording the document, existing law requires the county recorder to submit the modification document and the original document to the county counsel, who is required to determine whether the original document contains an unlawful restriction. This bill would make void and unenforceable against an interested party any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any deed, contract, security instrument, lease, or other recorded or unrecorded instrument affecting the transfer or sale of any interest in real property that effectively prohibits or restricts the use of that property as a grocery …