Newsom Signs Urgent Legislation to Exempt California Restaurants From Service Fees Ban

A 2023 law made it illegal to impose surcharges on concert ticket prices, hotel rooms, or the now-exempt restaurant bills.

A waiter carries food at a restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

An emergency bill in California, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom Saturday, will allow restaurants and bars to include fees and surcharges if they are disclosed to customers, providing relief from a bill passed in 2023 that went into effect July 1.

Last year’s bill, Senate Bill 478, made it illegal to impose hidden fees or surcharges in the dining industry as well as in transactions like concert ticket prices or hotel rooms.