California Library Laws 2025
The California Library Laws 2025 (PDF) is an annual publication, compiled by the librarians of the Witkin State Law Library, collecting state laws and regulations pertaining to library business. The goal is to present state laws that affect library business in one convenient place for quick reference. As most new laws take effect on January 1, incorporating legislation from the previous session of the California Legislature, this guide is updated and made available at the beginning of each new year with an introduction highlighting any major changes. The content is organized into different categories including laws and regulations relating to statewide library programs, local library programs, miscellaneous methods of organizing and providing services, tax provisions, and miscellaneous provisions. The appendix includes a list of California court decisions/Attorney General Opinions relating to libraries.
This is a selective guide to state laws and related materials that most directly affect the everyday operations of public libraries and organizations that work with public libraries. It is intended as a convenient reference, not as a comprehensive guide or as a replacement for the annotated codes or for legal advice.
Our Witkin State Law Library Guides and Publications page has additional instructional information that may be useful if you are performing legislative or regulatory research. If you have any questions or need research assistance, please feel free to send us a question via our Ask a Librarian system.