California B.O.T. Act: Screening Questions
By Jason Ramirez · Review method and corrections
Educational information, not legal advice. Facts checked against the official text linked below, last substantively reviewed August 2, 2026. This page does not determine whether the rule applies to you.
California Business and Professions Code Section 17941 is narrower than a rule covering every automated assistant. Its text combines communication with a person in California, intent to mislead about artificial identity, knowing deception about content, and specified commercial or electoral purposes.
Key facts
- Jurisdiction:
- California communications; statutory purpose and intent elements matter
- Effective:
- Effective January 1, 2019; operative July 1, 2019
- Enforcement note:
- The section does not state a fixed per-message fine or its own remedial schedule. Consequences depend on other applicable law, the enforcement path, and the facts.
- Primary official text:
- California Business and Professions Code § 17941
The elements to review together
The statute addresses use of a bot to communicate or interact online with another person in California. It then adds intent and purpose language: misleading the person about artificial identity in order to knowingly deceive about the communication's content and incentivize a commercial purchase or sale or influence an election vote.
A chatbot label, California visitor, or sales context by itself does not establish every element. The communications, user location evidence, design choices, operator intent, and purpose need to be reviewed together.
What the disclosure provision says
Section 17941 says a person using a bot is not liable under that section if the person discloses that it is a bot. The required disclosure must be clear, conspicuous, and reasonably designed to inform the people with whom the bot communicates or interacts that it is a bot.
The statute does not prescribe one required sentence or screen position. A sample such as 'I am an automated assistant, not a human' may be a useful starting point, but this site cannot decide whether a real presentation satisfies the standard.
What this section does not answer
Section 17941 does not provide a fixed per-message penalty in its text. Do not infer a likely dollar amount or enforcement result from this page.
The section-specific disclosure protection also does not decide obligations under privacy, consumer-protection, election, accessibility, sector-specific, or other AI laws. Those issues require a separate review.
Practical records to preserve
Preserve the bot's first interaction, disclosure text and placement, relevant conversation flow, target audience and location settings, the business or electoral objective, and records explaining design decisions. These facts may help a professional evaluate the statutory elements.
Do not submit those records to this checker. The checker asks only broad yes-or-no screening questions and is not designed to receive confidential or case-specific information.
Frequently asked questions
Does every customer-service chatbot fall under Section 17941?
Not from the chatbot label alone. Review the California communication, intent, deception, and commercial or electoral purpose language in the statute.
Is disclosure a safe harbor?
The text says a person using a bot is not liable under this section if the person provides the required disclosure. That section-specific language does not resolve other laws.
What wording should a bot use?
The statute requires a clear, conspicuous disclosure reasonably designed to inform people that it is a bot, but it does not prescribe a single phrase. Context and presentation matter.
When did the section become operative?
The official code notes an effective date of January 1, 2019 and an operative date of July 1, 2019.
Sources
- California Business and Professions Code § 17941 — binding statute
- SB 1001 chaptered bill — enacted amendment
Could this rule be relevant to you?
The free checker flags facts that may warrant review across five legal frameworks. It does not decide jurisdiction, coverage, or compliance.
Run the free checkThis page is educational information, not legal advice. Laws change and your situation may differ. Verify against the official text linked above and consult a licensed attorney for advice about your specific situation.