3rd attempt at extending California nightlife curfew to 4 a.m. clears State Senate

3rd attempt at extending California nightlife curfew to 4 a.m. clears State SenatePhoto: Victoria W./Yelp
Camden Avery
Published on May 21, 2019

State Sen. Scott Wiener's SB-58 bill, which would allow select California cities to extend liquor sales two hours past the current 2 a.m. curfew as part of a five-year trial, cleared the State Senate today in a 28-6 vote.

The next stop for SB-58 is the State Assembly, where it was defeated in 2017 after clearing the State Senate.

The bill is the third iteration of Wiener's so-called LOCAL (Let Our Communities Adjust Late-Night) Act. It would allow 10 California cities to hold a vote on instituting a later liquor curfew on a trial basis, potentially as early as 2021 or 2022, according to Sen. Wiener's office.

In addition to San Francisco, which Wiener represents, the other cities that would be allowed a vote on extending their curfews are Oakland, Los Angeles, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City, Fresno and Palm Springs. All were chosen because they're dense, largely urban areas with robust nightlife scenes.

If the affected cities move forward to vote in a later curfew, they'll be able to implement local restrictions on late night service based on other criteria, like venue type, neighborhood, or time of week.

We'll keep you posted on whether the bill passes the Assembly, and if Gov. Gavin Newsom appears poised to sign it into law.