Law enforcement: masks

The law is designed to make officers identifiable while preserving defined safety, health, undercover, tactical, and surveillance exceptions. Officers who knowingly violate the restriction may face criminal penalties, while concealed identity can increase damages in false-arrest or false-imprisonment cases.

What the law does ​

• Bars law enforcement officers, including state-employed peace officers, from wearing opaque facial coverings that conceal their identity while on duty except under authorized exceptions.
• Requires state, local, federal, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies operating in California to publicly post a facial-covering policy by January 1, 2027.
• Requires policies to limit coverings, reject generalized safety fears as sufficient justification, document when opaque coverings have no reasonable alternative, and bar supervisors from knowingly allowing violations.
• Allows exceptions for authorized undercover work, specified tactical safety gear, health and accommodation laws, identity protection during prosecution, Fish and Game-related surveillance, and active SWAT duties.
• Excludes clear safety shields, medical and hazard-protection equipment, certain vehicle and training helmets, protective eyewear, and sunglasses unless combined to conceal identity.
• Makes a person liable for at least $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater, for false arrest or false imprisonment when a factfinder finds they knowingly and willfully concealed their identity with a facial covering.

Who it affects ​

• State, local, federal, and out-of-state law enforcement officers operating in California.
• Law enforcement agencies that employ peace officers and must adopt and post compliant policies.
• People bringing false-arrest or false-imprisonment claims involving an officer who concealed their identity.

Context ​

Agencies with compliant, publicly posted policies receive an exception from the law's criminal penalties for officers acting as agency employees.