U.S. – California Becomes First State in U.S. to Ban the Sale of New Fur Products

Vol. 1110 | 18 Oct 2019

On October 12, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill (AB) 44 – Fur Products: Prohibition. The law prohibits the sale, offering for sale, displaying for sale, trade, or distributing for monetary or nonmonetary consideration a fur product in the state of California.

“Fur” is defined by the law as any animal skin or part thereof with hair, fleece, or fur fibers attached thereto, either in its raw or processed state. The definition excludes:

• A dog or cat fur product, as defined in Section 1308 of Title 19 of the United States Code, as that section reads on January 1, 2020
• An animal skin or part thereof that is to be converted into leather, which in processing will have the hair, fleece, or fur fiber completely removed
• Cowhide with hair attached thereto
• Deerskin, sheepskin, or goatskin with hair attached thereto
• The pelt or skin of an animal that is preserved through taxidermy

“Fur Product” is defined by the law as any article of clothing or covering for any part of the body, or any fashion accessory, including, but not limited to, handbags, shoes, slippers, hats, earmuffs, scarves, shawls, gloves, jewelry, keychains, toys or trinkets, and home accessories and decor, that is made in whole or in part of fur.

The bill exempts following fur products from these prohibitions:

• A used fur product
• A fur product used for religious purposes
• A fur product used for traditional tribal, cultural or spiritual purposes by Native American tribe
• Any activity expressly authorized by federal law

The ban will become effective on January 1, 2023, giving retailers more than two years to sell any furs they still have available in their inventory. After the law goes into effect, manufacturers will face fines of $500 to $1,000 for each violation of the law.

AB-44 can be reviewed at: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB44

For questions, please contact Stephanie Bilotti (Stephanie.Bilotti@intertek.com, +1 862-316-5877) or Pratik Ichhaporia (pratik.ichhaporia@intertek.com, +1-847-212-8273)