California enacted a package of new laws in 2024 and 2025 to make the state a safer place, but one of the new laws that got passed addresses the increasing trend of coordinated street takeovers. The first major update came in September 2024, when Governor Gavin Newsom signed a four-bill package aimed at street takeovers, illegal speed contests, exhibitions of speed, and vehicles used to block roads. However AB 2807 is the most important because it added the term “street takeover” to the state’s Vehicle Code.
Quick Overview: What Is the New California Street Takeover Law?
Governor Newsom signed four bills on September 23, 2024, all taking effect January 1, 2025. The core legislation is Assembly Bill 2807, which defines what constitutes a street takeover, and what kind of punishments participants will face. The statute covers both public highways and off-street parking facilities, so a takeover does not necessarily have to occur in the middle of a public intersection in order for it to be deemed unlawful.
Furthermore, the punishment for taking part in a street takeover will result in license suspension between 90 days to 6 months on top of additional violations. These rules apply statewide, with enforcement concentrated in hot spots like Los Angeles, the Bay Area, San Diego, and surrounding counties.
What Are Street Takeovers?
Street takeovers are illegal gatherings where two or more persons block roadways or intersections so drivers can perform motor vehicle stunts, burnouts, donuts, or drifting for a crowd. These events block traffic on public streets, freeways, or even a parking lot, creating a public nuisance and danger for everyone nearby.
These gatherings started gaining traction on social media due to the chaotic and adrenaline fueled danger it brings, however, they have also resulted with a range of injuries, property damages, and even fatalities. Furthermore, local law enforcement have a difficult time stopping the gathering and arresting those involved because of the large number of people and amount of traffic congestion it causes.
How California Currently Handles Street Takeovers
California law already prohibits several forms of dangerous vehicle conduct before AB 2807, but the law covers more than traditional drag racing. Under California Vehicle Code § 23109, it is unlawful to:
- Engage in a motor vehicle speed contest on a highway or in an off-street parking facility
- Aid or abet a motor vehicle speed contest
- Engage in a motor vehicle exhibition of speed
- Aid or abet an exhibition of speed
- Block or place an obstruction on a highway or off-street parking facility to help facilitate a speed contest or exhibition of speed
An exhibition of speed can include conduct like burnouts, rapid acceleration, tire squealing, donuts, drifting, or other driving meant to show off a vehicle’s speed, power, or control. Additionally, the type of motor vehicle does not matter and any type of unlawful vehicle gathering (cars, motorcycles, minibikes, etc.) will be held to the same standards.
What Are the Current Penalties?
For a first motor vehicle speed-contest conviction, current California law penalizes violators for 24 hours to 90 days in county jail, a fine of $355 to $1,000, or both, along with 40 hours of community service. A court may also suspend or restrict driving privileges for 90 days to six months, but penalties increase for certain repeat offenses and when a speed contest causes bodily injury.
For aiding or abetting a speed contest, an exhibition of speed, aiding or abetting an exhibition of speed, or blocking a roadway in violation of the relevant provisions of § 23109, current law generally allows up to 90 days in county jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.
What Did California AB 2807 Actually Change?
Assembly Bill 2807 amended California Vehicle Code § 23109 to clarify that a “sideshow” is also known as a “street takeover”, because California already prohibited motor vehicle speed contests, aiding or abetting those activities, and blocking a roadway or off-street parking facility to help them happen.
Additionally beginning July 1, 2025, a court can suspend a driver’s license for 90 days to six months when someone violates the exhibition-of-speed provision as part of a sideshow. Courts may also allow a restricted license for employment and must consider certain medical, personal, or family hardships when determining whether to suspend or restrict driving privileges.
Why Did California Add the Term “Street Takeover”?
Part of the reason for the expanded definition was regional language, because the California Senate Public Safety Committee’s analysis of AB 2807 noted that law enforcement in Southern California commonly used the term “street takeover,” while “sideshow” had long been used elsewhere in the state.
Adding both terms to the Vehicle Code made the law easier to understand and apply consistently. Calling an event a street takeover instead of a sideshow does not put it outside California’s existing traffic laws.
The Four Bills Behind California’s 2024 Street Takeover Crackdown
AB 2807 was one piece of a larger package. The other bills dealt more directly with vehicle removal, impoundment, and off-street enforcement.
2026 Update: AB 1588 Could Make the Law Tougher
California lawmakers have also approved another significant street takeover bill. AB 1588, or otherwise known as the Sideshow Accountability and Community Safety Act, passed both houses of the Legislature and was presented to the Governor on September 9, 2026.
As of September 17, 2026, the official California Legislature website still lists the bill as enrolled and with the Governor, so it is not yet law. If signed in its current form, AB 1588 would make several notable changes to Vehicle Code § 23109.
What AB 1588 Would Change
The enrolled bill would make the following changes:
- Expand the sideshow definition to cover the use or operation of any motor vehicle, including motorcycles and off-highway vehicles, used to barricade, block, impede, or otherwise obstruct traffic
- Remove the current requirement that the event be performed “for spectators” from the sideshow definition
- Create enhanced penalties for an exhibition of speed committed as part of a sideshow
- Increase penalties when the driver causes bodily injury or specified serious injuries
- Allow a registered owner’s vehicle to be impounded for one to 30 days after certain qualifying convictions when the vehicle was used in the offense
The enrolled text of AB 1588 also keeps the January 1, 2029 date for the additional sideshow-related license suspension described above. Until the Governor acts on AB 1588, those proposed changes should not be described as current California law.
What Do These Laws Mean if Someone Is Injured?
If someone is injured during a street takeover, criminal charges and civil injury claims may be filed, but they will be separate in the legal process. The state can prosecute a driver or participant for violating the state’s Vehicle Code and at the same time, someone who was injured can pursue a civil claim against the people whose actions caused or contributed to the crash. Felony charges can also include vehicular manslaughter or murder if someone is killed at one of these dangerous events.
Can an Organizer or Promoter Be Civilly Liable?
It is possible for a street takeover organizer to be liable, but the key question is whether that person’s actions helped create the dangerous situation that led to the injury. Choosing the location, recruiting drivers, directing traffic, coordinating movement, or helping block the roadway can matter. However, it requires evidence such as social media posts, group chats, surveillance footage, witness statements, and police reports to help show what role someone played.
What Should You Do After a Street Takeover Accident?
If you have been injured during a street takeover, it is important to stay calm and move away from gathering as safely as possible. As the scene can remain dangerous after the initial accident, drivers may flee, crowds can scatter, and roads may still be blocked when police officers arrive on the scene. Once it is safe and first responders have arrived, try to do any of the following:
- Take photos or video of the scene
- Record vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers
- Get witness names and contact information
- Save relevant social media posts and messages
- Ask nearby businesses whether they have surveillance footage
- Keep damaged property or vehicle parts
- Request the police report when it becomes available
Street takeover cases can involve more people and more evidence than an ordinary crash and an investigation should look at everyone who may have played a role in what happened, not just the driver who struck the victim. If you require assistance to file a claim and hold those responsible accountable, a personal injury lawyer can help with the legal process and ensure your chances of recovering compensation.
Injured in a California Street Takeover Accident?
As street takeovers often involve hundreds of spectators, multiple vehicles, disputed faults, social media evidence, and several insurance policies, sorting out who caused the crash and what coverage is available can take a lot of work both legally and energy wise. At West Coast Trial Lawyers, our team of car accident lawyers can handle all those legal troubles for you, including property damage and all traffic-injury claims throughout California.
If you were injured in or near a street takeover, call (213) 927-3700 now or use the firm’s online contact form to discuss what happened.
Frequently Asked Questions About California Street Takeover Laws
Did AB 2807 Create California’s 30-Day Vehicle Impoundment Rule?
No. California already had vehicle-impoundment authority, and AB 2186 expanded Vehicle Code § 23109.2 to cover qualifying exhibitions of speed in off-street parking facilities.
When Does the Additional Sideshow License-Suspension Rule Take Effect?
January 1, 2029. SB 128 delayed the effective date from July 1, 2025.
Can Police Impound a Vehicle Even if the Driver Is Not Taken Into Custody?
In certain circumstances, yes. AB 1978 allows vehicle storage when a person is arrested but not taken into custody for specified conduct involving using a vehicle to obstruct or barricade a roadway or off-street parking facility to facilitate a speed contest or exhibition of speed.
Does California Law Apply to Street Takeovers in Parking Lots?
Certain provisions do, because Vehicle Code § 23109 applies to speed contests and exhibitions of speed in off-street parking facilities, and the 2024 legislation expanded related enforcement authority there.
Is It Automatically Illegal to Watch a Street Takeover?
AB 2807 did not create a blanket statewide crime for simply watching. Local ordinances may impose separate rules, and someone who actively blocks traffic, aids the event, or commits another offense can face additional consequences.
