California Lemon Law for New Cars

How California's lemon law applies to newly purchased or leased vehicles, and what qualifies you as a covered consumer.

Last reviewed 10 September 2026

Last reviewed September 10, 2026.

A vehicle bought new from a dealer is the clearest case covered by California’s lemon law (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act). This page covers the basic eligibility rules; for used vehicles, see the important 2024 change in used-car coverage first if that applies to you.

Who is a covered “consumer”

Per the definition applied by California’s certified arbitration programs, you’re generally covered if you are:

  • An individual who buys or leases a new motor vehicle from a business engaged in manufacturing, distributing, selling, or leasing new vehicles at retail, or
  • A lessee under a lease term exceeding four months.

What kind of use qualifies

The vehicle must be:

  • Used or bought primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, or
  • Used or bought primarily for business purposes by a person or business that has no more than five vehicles registered in California, provided the vehicle’s gross weight is under 10,000 lbs.

Where you bought it matters

The vehicle generally must have been purchased or leased at retail in California — not through a private sale, and not purchased in another state. There’s a narrow exception for full-time active-duty members of the Armed Forces who were stationed or residing in California at the time of purchase, lease, or when the claim is filed.

What’s excluded

The Song-Beverly “new motor vehicle” lemon law provisions generally do not cover:

  • The living-quarters portion of a motorhome (see our RVs and motorcycles page for what’s different there)
  • Motorcycles
  • A motor vehicle not registered under the Vehicle Code because it’s used exclusively off-highway

What happens next

Once you’ve confirmed basic eligibility, the questions that actually determine your case are about repair history — see requirements: the presumption test for exactly how many repair attempts and how much out-of-service time creates a legal presumption in your favor, and what you’re entitled to recover under the buyback calculation.

/used-car/ · /leased-car/ · /requirements/ · /buyback/

Sources

Civil Code §1793.22; consumer-eligibility criteria as published by BBB Auto Line’s California lemon law program summary.

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