What Is California SB 707? A Complete Guide for Apparel Brands

Last updated: October 20, 2026

California SB 707, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, is the first statewide extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for textiles in the United States. It makes the companies that place apparel and textile products on the California market responsible for funding, and over time organizing, the collection, repair, reuse and recycling of those products. If you sell clothing to California customers, including through a Shopify store, you need to know whether the law treats you as a "producer".

SB 707 in 60 seconds

• What it is: the first US textile EPR law, signed on September 28, 2024.
• Who runs it: CalRecycle oversees the program; Landbell USA is the only approved producer responsibility organization (PRO).
• Registration: producers had to join Landbell USA by July 1, 2026. The fee for the 2026–2027 cycle is a flat $1,000.
• Exemptions: sellers with under $1 million in annual aggregate global revenue, and sellers of only secondhand products.
• What comes next: regulations cannot take effect before July 1, 2028, and the full producer responsibility plan is targeted for approval around 2030.

What is extended producer responsibility for textiles?

EPR shifts the cost of end-of-life product management from taxpayers and municipalities to the companies that sell the products. Packaging and electronics EPR already exist in many states. SB 707 applies the same idea to clothing and household textiles. California disposes of roughly 1.2 million tons of textiles a year, about 3% of what goes to landfill, which is the problem the law targets.

Producers do not run recycling themselves. They join a PRO, which collects fees, reports to CalRecycle and builds the collection and recycling system. Fees are expected to be eco-modulated, meaning products designed for durability and recyclability should cost less to put on the market than those that are not.

Who counts as a producer under SB 707?

The law assigns responsibility along a hierarchy rather than to every company in the supply chain. In practice the obligated producer is usually the brand owner, or the licensee, manufacturer, importer, distributor or retailer when no one higher up the chain is subject to the law. If you design and sell your own label, you are the producer, not the retailer or marketplace that carries it.

This applies to e-commerce and direct-to-consumer sales as well as stores. A brand that ships from a warehouse outside California to a California customer is still placing a product on the California market.

Which products are covered?

"Covered products" are defined broadly. They include:

• Everyday apparel: shirts, dresses, leisurewear, athletic wear, formal wear and work uniforms
• Footwear and accessories: handbags and knitted or woven accessories
• Household textiles: bedding, tablecloths, fabric window coverings and pillows

CalRecycle is still refining these definitions in its 2026 workshops, so check your SKU list against the latest guidance instead of assuming a product is in or out.

Who is exempt from SB 707?

Two categories of seller are outside the definition of producer:

1. Small sellers with less than $1 million in annual aggregate global revenue. CalRecycle's proposed definition counts total gross revenue, not just California sales or sales of covered products.
2. Secondhand-only sellers. CalRecycle is working on a precise definition of what counts as secondhand. See our guide on whether secondhand and vintage clothing is exempt.

CalRecycle has also discussed a standardized process, possibly with annual renewal, for businesses to claim the small-seller exemption, so keep your revenue records ready.

Landbell USA: the only approved PRO

On February 27, 2026, CalRecycle approved Landbell USA after a competition that also included the Circular Textile Alliance and the Textile Renewal Alliance. Producers must use the approved PRO rather than form their own. For the 2026–2027 cycle the registration fee is a flat $1,000 per producer, used to fund the needs assessment and program setup. Read the step-by-step in Do You Need to Register with Landbell USA?

SB 707 timeline: what has happened and what comes next

What SB 707 means for Shopify and online sellers

Online sellers get no special treatment. If you sell your own branded apparel into California, you are the producer even when you sell through a marketplace. Marketplace rules are still being clarified in CalRecycle's workshops, so do not assume Amazon or another platform registers on your behalf.

From July 2029, businesses that distribute or sell covered products from a producer missing from CalRecycle's compliance list may be required to take on that producer's obligations. That makes your registration status something wholesalers and retail partners will ask about.

Penalties and the legal challenge

Administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day have been reported for violations, and records submitted to CalRecycle are provided under penalty of perjury. Some compliance providers cite higher figures, so confirm the exact exposure with counsel.

AAFA's lawsuit, which argues Landbell USA does not meet the law's requirements, is still pending. A judge denied the preliminary injunction, so implementation continues and producers remain obligated while the case proceeds.

A five-step SB 707 checklist for apparel brands

1. Confirm whether your annual global revenue is above $1 million.
2. Check that you are the obligated producer for each brand you sell.
3. Map your SKUs to covered product categories.
4. Register with Landbell USA if you have not yet. Late registration is still possible.
5. Clean up product data now. Fiber content, weight and materials will matter for reporting. See Why Product Data Hygiene Matters for Apparel Brands Selling to California.

Frequently asked questions

Did the SB 707 registration deadline already pass? Yes. The deadline was July 1, 2026. Landbell USA says it is still processing late applications, but companies that missed the date are considered non-compliant.

Does SB 707 apply to brands outside California? Yes, if you sell covered products to California consumers, including online.

How much does SB 707 cost? For 2026–2027 the registration fee is a flat $1,000. Volume- and design-based fees are expected to be set later by the PRO's plan.

Is SB 707 the same as the FTC labeling rules? No. FTC rules govern what must appear on labels. SB 707 governs end-of-life responsibility. Both depend on accurate product data. See our US clothing label requirements checklist.

Related guides

• Do You Need to Register with Landbell USA?
• Are Secondhand and Vintage Clothes Exempt from California SB 707?
• How to Audit Your Shopify Product Catalog for Missing Textile Data

This article is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

• Anthesis: SB 707 explained
• Keller and Heckman: CalRecycle approves Landbell USA
• Farella Braun + Martel: CalRecycle regulatory concepts workshops
• Daily Journal: SB 707, the nation's first textile EPR law
• Just Style: California textile EPR rollout
• AAFA statement, Sept 18, 2026
• Landbell Group: registration and fees