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San Bernardino County, CA Single-Use Items: Utensils-On-Request (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified May 2026

Key Facts

State law
AB 1276 of 2021
Applies to
Restaurants and delivery apps
Default setting
Opt-in only
Annual fine cap
300 dollars

Summary

California AB 1276 prohibits restaurants and food delivery platforms in San Bernardino County from automatically including plastic utensils, condiments, and napkins; items must be provided only on customer request.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

42271.

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (c) and (d), a food facility, for on-premises dining or when using a third-party food delivery platform, shall not provide any single-use foodware accessory or standard condiment packaged for single use to a consumer unless the single-use foodware accessory or standard condiment is requested by the consumer.

(b) Single-use foodware accessories and standard condiments packaged for single use provided by food facilities for use by consumers shall not be bundled or packaged in a manner that prohibits a consumer from taking only the type of single-use foodware accessory or standard condiment desired without also having to take a different type of single-use foodware accessory or standard condiment.

(c) A food facility may ask a drive-through consumer if the consumer wants a single-use foodware accessory if the single-use foodware accessory is necessary for the consumer to consume ready-to-eat food, or to prevent spills of or safely transport ready-to-eat food.

(d) A food facility that is located entirely within a public use airport, as defined in Section 77.3 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, may ask a walk-through consumer if the consumer wants a single-use foodware accessory if the single-use foodware accessory is necessary for the consumer to consume ready-to-eat food, or to prevent spills of or safely transport ready-to-eat food.

(e) (1) A third-party food delivery platform shall provide consumers with the option to request single-use foodware accessories or standard condiments from a food facility serving ready-to-eat food.

(2) If a food facility uses any third-party delivery platform for ready-to-eat food, the food facility shall customize its menu with a list of available single-use foodware accessories and standard condiments, and only those single-use foodware accessories or standard condiments selected by the consumer shall be provided by the food facility. If a consumer does not select any single-use foodware accessories or standard condiments, no single-use foodware accessory or standard condiment shall be provided by the food facility for delivery of ready-to-eat food.

(f) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a food facility from making unwrapped single-use foodware accessories available to a consumer using refillable self-service dispensers that dispense one item at a time to allow for single-use foodware accessories to be obtained.

(g) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a food facility from making standard condiments available to a consumer using refillable self-service dispensers to allow for standard condiments to be obtained. A food facility that offers standard condiments is encouraged to use bulk dispensers for the condiments rather than condiments packaged for single use.

(h) Nothing in this section shall prevent a city, county, city and county, or other local public agency from adopting and implementing an ordinance or rule that would further restrict a food facility or a third-party food delivery platform from providing single-use foodware accessories or standard condiments to a consumer.

(i) A food facility is encouraged, but not required, to take actions in addition to the requirements of this section that support a goal of reducing the use of and waste generated by all single-use food service products.

Source: California Public Resources Code 42271View official code

Full Breakdown

Assembly Bill 1276, codified at Public Resources Code 42270 to 42276, requires food facilities and third-party delivery services to provide single-use plastic utensils, stirrers, and condiment packets only upon specific customer request or affirmative selection. The rule applies to restaurants, delivery apps such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, and ghost kitchens across San Bernardino County. Customers must opt in either at the counter or through an app prompt; bundling defaults are not allowed. Self-serve stations remain permitted. Inspectors check during routine health visits, prioritizing chain operators and high-volume delivery hubs.

Violations & Fines

Bundling utensils by default or pre-checking app boxes triggers warnings then fines of 25 dollars per day, capped at 300 dollars annually per food facility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still get utensils with delivery?
Yes, just check the box for utensils, napkins, or condiments at checkout. Apps are required to make it an opt-in choice rather than the default selection.
What about office cafeterias?
Self-serve stations and dispenser-style condiments are still allowed. The rule targets unsolicited packaged items handed out with takeout and delivery orders, not buffet-style service.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in San Bernardino County

All San Bernardino County rules

California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California single-use items overview

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