Starting Jan. 1, 2027, California retailers will be prohibited from selling weight-loss and muscle-building supplements to anyone younger than 18. Stores must also check identification for customers who do not appear clearly to be adults.
The rules were established under Assembly Bill 2030, introduced by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 28. The New York Post reported Monday that the law also covers creatine products promoted for muscle growth.
The law applies to any supplement marketed or described as helping people lose weight or build muscle. A legal analysis of the statute outlines several factors a court may consider in disputed cases, including the product’s ingredients, label claims and store placement. Creatine is specifically mentioned, as are green tea extract, raspberry ketone, garcinia cambogia and green coffee bean extract. Claims involving appetite, metabolism or strength may also bring a product under the law, as can the section of a store where it is displayed.
However, the law does not ban creatine itself.
Lowenthal said the legislation responds to social media campaigns targeting teenagers. He argued that young people are being “pushed to buy untested supplements promising dramatic effects on their bodies,” citing what he called dangerous “looksmaxxing” trends.
Industry groups have challenged the breadth of the bill. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association and the Council for Responsible Nutrition both criticized the reach of its criteria. Steve Mister of the nutrition council said the group’s approach was to “identify the actual risk and address it directly.” In a request urging Newsom to veto the measure, the council warned that the wording could encompass fiber, protein, multivitamins and broadly marketed wellness products.
The American Herbal Products Association made a similar argument, saying protein, vitamin D and creatine can all be associated with muscle development or metabolism. As a result, it said products not generally viewed as diet pills could be covered based solely on their ingredients.
Newsom has backed other California measures limiting what minors may buy or use, including a 2024 law restricting smartphone use in public schools.
Dean Riley, a Bakersfield fitness enthusiast, told Eyewitness News that teenagers are not overdosing on these products. “Ain’t no teenage kids coming to the vitamin store or GNC,” he said. Lucia Clevenger, who owns a supplement store in Bakersfield, said responsibility ultimately rests with parents.
Retailers can face a $500 penalty for each violation. The state attorney general may bring a lawsuit, as may a county counsel or city attorney, and those officials can ask a court to halt the sales. Online sellers face separate requirements: Before shipping a covered product to California, they must verify the customer’s name, birth date and address using government-sourced information, or use a delivery method that requires an adult signature.
In 2024, the governor also signed a law barring local governments from requiring photo identification to vote.
New York adopted the first comparable supplement restriction in 2023, with its law taking effect in April 2024. The Council for Responsible Nutrition has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review that measure, arguing that it raises First Amendment concerns.
