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Leaving the scene of a crash that injures or kills someone is already a serious crime in California. Senate Bill 907, signed by the Governor on September 25, 2026, as Chapter 443, amends Vehicle Code section 20001 and section 23635. We fetched the official bill text from the Legislature’s site. As ordinary legislation approved in 2026, it generally takes effect January 1, 2027.
The new 20001 penalties are criminal. They do not, by themselves, decide who pays a civil injury claim. A person hurt in a hit-and-run can still have claims against a known driver, against uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and for evidence that helps prove what happened. Those civil paths were already the focus of a hit-and-run claim, and they remain the focus after SB 907.
One more labeling point, because the name is easy to mix up: only Vehicle Code section 23635 “shall be known, and may be cited, as Braun’s Law.” That section is about a court advisement when a DUI allegation is dismissed or a different or lesser offense is substituted. It is not the name of the entire 20001 penalty package. Our earlier article on punitive damages and restitution after a drunk-driving crash addresses a different set of issues.
Win Attorneys handles hit-and-run injury claims throughout California from our only office in Tustin. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese.
What Vehicle Code section 20001 already required
As amended by SB 907, section 20001(a) still requires the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident that injures another person, or results in a death, to stop at the scene and fulfill Vehicle Code sections 20003 and 20004. The duty to stop is not new.
The base punishment in section 20001(b)(1)(A), except as provided in the new subparagraph (B) and in paragraph (2), remains imprisonment in state prison, or in a county jail for not more than one year, or a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000, or both.
If the accident results in death or permanent, serious injury, section 20001(b)(2)(A) still provides for imprisonment in state prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail for not less than 90 days and not more than one year, or a fine of $1,000 to $10,000, or both. The court may, in the interests of justice and for reasons stated in the record, reduce or eliminate that minimum imprisonment. “Permanent, serious injury” means the loss or permanent impairment of function of a bodily member or organ, under section 20001(d).
What SB 907 adds when certain priors exist
The new piece is a higher punishment when the hit-and-run happens within 10 years of a separate conviction for specified driving offenses. Those listed priors are a violation of Vehicle Code section 23103, as specified in section 23103.5, section 23152, or section 23153, or a violation of Penal Code section 191.5, or Penal Code section 192(c)(1), that resulted in a conviction.
Under new section 20001(b)(1)(B), if the driver violates section 20001(a) within 10 years of one of those convictions, the punishment is imprisonment in state prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail for not more than one year, or a fine of $1,000 to $10,000, or both.
Under new section 20001(b)(2)(B), if that same prior exists and the accident results in death or permanent, serious injury, the punishment is imprisonment in state prison for three, four, or five years, or in a county jail for not less than 90 days and not more than one year, and a fine of $1,000 to $10,000. The court may, in the interests of justice and for reasons stated in the record, reduce or eliminate the minimum imprisonment required by that paragraph.
A Senate press release from Senator Archuleta’s office announced the Governor’s signature. The operative rules are the statute itself, which we took from the official SB 907 bill text.
What Braun’s Law, in section 23635, actually covers
Section 23635, as amended, begins: “This section shall be known, and may be cited, as Braun’s Law.” It requires a record of the court’s reasons when a Vehicle Code section 23152 allegation is dismissed, when a different or lesser offense is substituted for that allegation, or when an allegation of a separate conviction is dismissed or stricken. If the defendant pleads guilty or no contest to a different or lesser offense as a substitute for an alleged 23152 violation, the court must give an advisement under section 23593. That is a criminal-court advisement rule. It is not a civil damages statute, and it is not a second name for the 20001 changes.
What this does, and does not, change for a civil injury claim
A criminal case and a civil injury claim are separate. A tougher possible sentence does not automatically increase civil damages, create a new insurance policy, or prove who was at fault. A civil claim still has to show liability, causation, and damages.
What often matters most after a hit-and-run remains practical:
- Identifying the other vehicle and driver, if they can be found, including through a CHP or police report, witnesses, cameras, and license plate evidence.
- Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, which is often the main source of recovery when the at-fault driver is unknown, uninsured, or underinsured.
- Medical bills, lost income, and other damages, documented with records, not assumptions.
- Preserving evidence quickly, because paint transfers, video, and debris do not last.
If a public entity or a commercial vehicle is involved, other deadlines can apply, including the six-month government-claim period under Government Code section 911.2. For the broader practice context, see our hit-and-run practice page and our motor vehicle accidents page. A related 2027 change, AB 1588, tightens some sideshow exhibition-of-speed penalties. Read what that statute says, and what a civil claim still requires.
Talk to us
Win Attorneys handles hit-and-run and other vehicle injury claims throughout California from our only office at 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese.
Call us at (657) 235-8097, reach us through our contact page, or start online with our intake form.
This article is general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Criminal charges, if any, are handled in the criminal courts. We describe SB 907 as it appears in the official bill text we fetched.
Sources
- Senate Bill 907, Chapter 443, official bill text, approved September 25, 2026, fetched November 14, 2026.
- Senator Bob Archuleta, press release announcing the Governor’s signature, fetched November 14, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When do the new hit-and-run penalties take effect?
SB 907 was approved on September 25, 2026, as Chapter 443. As ordinary 2026 legislation, it generally takes effect January 1, 2027. Confirm the operative date in the official bill text and with counsel if your facts are close to that date.
Is SB 907 the same thing as Braun’s Law?
No. The official text says only Vehicle Code section 23635 “shall be known, and may be cited, as Braun’s Law.” That section governs a court advisement when a DUI allegation is dismissed or a different or lesser offense is substituted. The tighter 20001 hit-and-run penalties are a separate amendment in the same bill.
Do the new criminal penalties increase my civil recovery?
Not automatically. A civil injury claim still depends on liability, causation, damages, and available insurance or other sources of recovery. The statute changes criminal punishment in defined situations. It does not, by itself, add a new civil cause of action or a new insurance policy.
What if the driver who hit me left and still has not been found?
Your own uninsured motorist coverage is often the main civil path when the other driver is unknown or uninsured. Preserve the police or CHP report, photos, witness names, and any camera footage as soon as you can.
What priors trigger the higher 20001 penalties?
The higher terms apply when the hit-and-run occurs within 10 years of a separate conviction for Vehicle Code section 23103, as specified in section 23103.5, section 23152, or section 23153, or Penal Code section 191.5 or section 192(c)(1). Those are the categories listed in the official bill text.
Do your lawyers speak Spanish or Vietnamese?
Yes. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese, and we help people statewide from our only office at 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780.