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At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
As of January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 294 requires employers to provide employees a written notice of worker rights both at the time of hiring and annually thereafter. Furthermore, the legislation mandates that employers must allow their employees to designate an emergency contact who must be notified if the employee is arrested at work or during work hours, provided that the employer is aware of the incident.
Employers who fail to provide notification that meets the new requirements may face fines up to $500 per employee for each violation and up to $10,000 per employee for select violations, like the failure to alert an employee’s emergency contact.
The bill also required that a new workers’ rights notice template be generated by the California Department of Industrial Relations.
Like most of the new CA labor laws 2026 has to offer, SB 294 will have relatively minimal direct impact on the production industry. The new annual notice requirements, for example, are practically irrelevant with the short-term employment conditions of an average film shoot.
However, the new requirements for workers’ right notifications will impact the content of startwork packets industry-wide. Additionally, new emergency contact guidelines further formalize the need for precise record-keeping and documentation.
Click here to read the full text of Senate Bill 294
Though not strictly new to 2026, the remainder of our employment laws are still fresh enough on the books that we think they deserve an overview as well.
First up on our list of not-quite-new CA labor laws 2026 is Senate Bill 988. SB 988 increases protections for independent contractors by placing minimum contract requirements for freelance work. Under the new law, contracts between a freelance worker and a hiring party must be in writing and include at least the following information:
Among other minor provisions, the law also includes language that protects freelance workers against underpayment for contracted work, prohibits expansion of work beyond a contract’s limits, and provides the right to legal recourse in civil court if the law is violated.
SB 988 comes hot on the heels of other new employment laws in recent years intended to protect workers against exploitation under the “independent contractor” classification. While SB 988 is less likely to impact the production industry at a level similar to Assembly Bill 5, it does further incentivize accurate worker classifications and legally compliant processing.
In essence, the contract requirements and civil penalties of SB 988 increase the difficulty and risk of exploiting a crew member by classifying them as an independent contractor. SB 988 sets a clear standard by which the misconduct of relationships with freelance workers can be measured as well as consequences for any violations of that standard.
Click here to read the full text of Senate Bill 988
On the road to new possibilities, emerging film technology often challenges traditional limitations. Machine learning has propelled many advancements in VFX, some of which are now raising questions regarding identity and autonomy. It is now possible to digitally recreate the faces and facial expressions of actors and other performers with increasing accuracy. This is even true for performers who are now deceased, as demonstrated by films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Alien: Romulus.
A pair of CA labor laws from 2025 provide boundaries for the creation and commercial use of these digital replicas.
Assembly Bill 2602 seeks to protect performers against having their likeness or voice replicated without their consent. As of January 1, 2025, contract provisions that allow for digital replicas of a performer will be considered unenforceable if they meet all of the following conditions:
Assembly 1836 expands established law to also provide limited protections for deceased performers. With certain exceptions, AB 1836 prohibits the use of digital replicas for deceased performers without first obtaining the consent of the performer’s estate. Violating parties will be liable for an amount equal to the greater of $10,000 or the actual damages suffered by the person who controls the rights.
Neither AB 2602 nor AB 1836 are likely to impact the day-to-day business of an average shoot. However, the new employment laws establish important regulations that may indirectly impact pre-production, post-production, and distribution processes.
The primary considerations are legal consent and proper contract management. Usage of digital replicas must now be carefully planned, communicated, and agreed upon by all parties involved. While regulations will likely evolve further as such tools continue to find their place in the industry, the state of California has now established a baseline of expectations and consequences for misconduct perpetrated through the technology.
Click here to read the full text of Assembly Bill 2602
Click here to read the full text of Assembly Bill 1836
As of January 1, 2026, California has raised its state-mandated minimum wage to $16.90 per hour for all employers. Productions should double-check their city and county labor laws with the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency to make sure all contract pay rates also meet any additional or modified local requirements.
To keep up with minimum wage requirements in any part of the U.S., check out our complete list of overtime and minimum wage laws by state.
Each year, new employment laws emerge, old employment laws are modified, and producers have to consider every single change. The new CA labor laws 2026 has to offer might seem complicated on their own, but imagine learning all new laws for California over the next decade. How can a production company realistically keep up with such a high volume of critical information?
One solution? Let tax and payroll professionals handle your filings, so you can focus on the work you actually like to do.
Wrapbook is the next standard for production finance and accounting teams. Backed by payroll experts and driven by next-gen technology, our platform empowers confident and collaborative decision-making to keep you ahead of the curve in an evolving entertainment industry. It’s a force multiplier that can help you and your team achieve success faster under new California employment laws in 2026 and beyond.
Check out our demo to learn more about how Wrapbook can provide clarity and confidence for your next shoot.
The above list covers new California employment laws in 2026 and describes how they might affect upcoming productions. However, if you have concerns about managing your next production in accordance with new employment laws in California or any other state, the best course of action is to seek direct advice from a qualified legal representative.
Want to know more about old or new employment laws in filmmaking? Check out our posts on child actor laws or how the latest Teamsters contract might affect you. You can also download our free payroll compliance checklist to help you handle the basics.
As our calendar apps tick into 2026, a host of new employment laws are going into effect throughout California, and many of them will inevitably impact the film industry in minor or major ways.
In this post, we’ll break down some of the new CA labor laws in 2026. We’ll review the new laws for California most relevant to professional filmmaking and provide insight on how they might affect producers, their crews, and the productions that bring them together.
This post is no substitute for the legal consultation of a licensed lawyer. Instead, it’s designed as a basic guide to help you spot red flags and troubleshoot your production operations in compliance with new California employment laws in 2026.
Let’s dig in.
For the film and television industries, the two most important new employment laws are undoubtedly Assembly Bill 1138 and Senate Bill 630. AB 1138 and SB 630 work hand in hand to expand California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program and modernize the California Film & Television Jobs Program.
After more than a half-decade of destabilizing circumstances, California’s beleaguered production industry is in need of a shot in the arm. AB 1138 and SB 630 are the result of a prolonged, coordinated effort by the professional film and TV community to do exactly that. Here are just a few highlights guaranteed by the pair of bills:
The bills also contain provisions that broaden access to career opportunities within the industry and reward TV productions for season-over-season involvement in the credit program, clearly signaling the legislation’s intentions for long-term industry impact.
Signed into law in mid-2025, AB 1138 and SB 630 are new employment laws designed to make California’s tax credit program more competitive with those from states like Georgia, New York, and Louisiana, as well as those outside the United States. In theory, an upgraded tax credit program will draw more productions to the state, resulting in more employment opportunities and a healthier production economy within California.
While there are too many factors to consider any bet a sure thing, the early results of AB 1138 and SB 630 are promising. Less than six months after the bills went into effect, applications for the tax credit program’s feature film round nearly doubled and awardees in a single round hit a new record. The awarded tax credits imply not just the interest of major studios but also a critical resurgence of independent productions.
It’s safe to say we can expect more results from these new employment laws as 2026 picks up steam.
