{"id":468481,"date":"2026-09-19T00:20:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T00:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/468481\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T00:20:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T00:20:11","slug":"san-jose-could-be-first-bay-area-city-to-have-self-checkout-regulations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/468481\/","title":{"rendered":"San Jose could be first Bay Area city to have self-checkout regulations"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Jose could become the first Bay Area city<\/a> to enforce self-checkout regulations in grocery stores and drug stores across the area, as the industry continues push the technology.<\/p>\n

The Silicon Valley city is looking to add regulations to the logistics of self-checkout areas with the hope of improving working conditions, enhancing public convenience and curbing retail theft<\/a>.<\/p>\n

San Jose loses up to $400,000 in sales tax revenue each year due to retail theft, according to city officials<\/a>. Understaffed self-checkout zones are also a reason for degrading work conditions and heightened safety risks for store employees, officials added.<\/p>\n

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San Jose is looking to implement new self-checkout regulations. Getty Images<\/p>\n

The new regulations include employee-to-kiosk ratios and limiting items to 15 or less. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The San Jose City Council\u2019s rules committee met Wednesday to discuss the new potential regulations. <\/p>\n

The regulations included a mandated ratio of one employee for every three kiosks, limiting self-checkout transactions to 15 items or less and keeping one employee-staffed checkout lane open any time self-checkout machines are open.<\/p>\n

While Southern California cities, including Costa Mesa, Long Beach and Santa Ana, have already enacted self-checkout regulations, San Jose would be the first Bay Area city to restrict customer self-checkout, if passed.<\/p>\n

Some Safeway and Target locations in San Francisco have quietly disabled their self-checkout machines due to retail theft.<\/p>\n

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The new regulations could raise grocery prices, create longer lines and put workers in danger without stopping crime, Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association, told The Mercury News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rhode Island passed a statewide bill in June mandating the 1:3 grocery worker to self-checkout machine ratio, set to take action in January 2027.<\/p>\n

The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) Local 5 \u2014 which represents a \u201chighly diverse group of laborers in Northern California \u2014 created a petition<\/a> in support of self-checkout regulations. The petition has gained over 1,400 signatures and includes a letter template that residents and retail employees in San Jose can send to City Council.<\/p>\n

Zanotto\u2019s Markets is pictured in San Jose. San Jose could be the first Bay Area city to introduce self-checkout line regulations. Instagram\/@zanottosmarkets<\/p>\n

Senate bill (SB 442<\/a>) \u2014 which passed the First Chamber but is still in the Committee review stage \u2014 details the potential requirement for keeping human-staffed lanes open in retail stores. <\/p>\n

The bill would require these establishments to include self-service checkout in the \u201cemployers illness and prevention program, as required by regulations of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health.\u201d<\/p>\n

A view of Zanotto\u2019s Markets in San Jose. San Jose could be the first Bay Area city to introduce self-checkout line regulations. Instagram\/@zanottosmarkets<\/p>\n

The bill would also require retail grocery and drug stores to notify workers at least 60 days in advance of self-checkout service implementation. Employers who violate the bill\u2019s provisions could be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation per day, up to an aggregate penalty of $200,000. <\/p>\n

The UFCW has displayed data showing self-checkout loss rates as high as 3.5% compared to just 0.21% for employee-staffed lanes. These loss rates are driven by administrative errors, damages and tactics like \u201cshort-ringing\u201d items, in which people may skip over ringing items in their cart.<\/p>\n

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