After a year-long grace period, police across California are issuing $63 citations under AB 413, which bans parking within 20 feet of any crosswalk or intersection — a rule that hits San Francisco's already scarce curb space hard.

Assembly Bill 413, the "Daylighting to Save Lives" law, took effect in 2025 to improve driver sightlines at intersections, where 22 percent of California's pedestrian fatalities occurred in 2023. Now that enforcement has begun statewide, SF drivers need to know the specific rule, the fine, and what's at stake.

After a year-long grace period, police agencies across California have begun writing tickets under Assembly Bill 413 — the "Daylighting to Save Lives" law — which prohibits parking within 20 feet of the approach side of any crosswalk or intersection. That's roughly one standard vehicle length. The fine for a violation: $63.

The law took effect in 2025 but saw minimal enforcement until now. Law enforcement officials say the change is driven by hard data. In 2023, 22 percent of California pedestrian fatalities occurred at intersections, according to the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center. A single parked vehicle near a corner can block a driver's view of a pedestrian stepping into the street.

"It's my understanding there were a lot of vehicle collisions that involved pedestrians and bicyclists and that's what caused this law to be looked into and then eventually passed," said Sgt. Nicolas Castellanos, speaking to ABC7 News.

Authorities are emphasizing particular vigilance near schools, where the sightline stakes are highest.

Public reaction has split sharply. Some welcome anything that slows traffic and protects pedestrians. "Any way to bring down the speed and make it safer for pedestrians, because I'm constantly on the roads walking, would be ideal," said Jose Saucedo of Burbank, in comments to ABC7.

Others see the law as compounding an already difficult parking situation. "They're taking away and creating more of a problem for parking," said Phil, a shopper in Orange County. "For pedestrians who even want to come here and want to be able to shop, there's no place to put the cars. It's just difficult."

That tension is especially acute in San Francisco, where curb space has long been contested terrain and the city has pursued its Vision Zero pedestrian-safety program — with mixed results — for over a decade. SF's dense street grid means the 20-foot buffer applies at thousands of intersections citywide. SFMTA and SFPD have not yet publicly detailed a local implementation or outreach plan, leaving many drivers unaware the grace period has ended.

For now, the rule is simple and statewide: if your front bumper is within one car length of a crosswalk on the approach side, you're in violation — and officers are no longer looking the other way.