California AB 618 Explained: Campsite Cancellations, No-Shows, Lotteries and Resale
Published October 10, 2026
AB 618 is the California law that changed how California State Parks campsite reservations work. It targets people who hoard reservations and cancel late, and the third-party "scalpers" who grab sites with bots to resell them. Here's what it changed and what it means when you book on ReserveCalifornia.
The basics
- Author: Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
- Signed: October 8, 2023, by Governor Gavin Newsom
- Applies to: California State Parks reservations, booked through ReserveCalifornia
1. Bigger penalties for late cancellations
Under the law, cancelling 2 to 6 days before your arrival date can cost you the first night's fee plus your reservation fees. ReserveCalifornia's current policy works like this:
- 7 or more days before arrival: refund of site fees, minus an $8.25 cancellation fee
- 2 to 6 days before arrival: you forfeit the first night's site fee
- Less than 2 days before, or a no-show: no refund
The $8.25 reservation fee itself is never refunded.
2. Repeat no-shows can lose booking privileges
If you don't show up for three reservations in a calendar year, California State Parks can block you from reserving sites for 365 days.
3. ID at check-in
You need to bring your reservation confirmation and photo ID when you check in, plus proof of disability if you reserved an accessible site. You must be at least 18 to book. This makes it harder to resell a reservation made under someone else's name.
4. A lottery for the most popular parks
The law required California State Parks to set up a reservation drawing for up to five of its most popular parks by January 1, 2025. Instead of everyone racing for the same dates at 8 a.m., people enter a drawing. The lottery section is a pilot: the state has to report results to the Legislature by January 1, 2028, and it expires on January 1, 2029 unless it's extended.
5. No resale
California State Parks prohibits any "resale, transfer, use, for profit activity, or memberships that are not approved in advance," and says those reservations are "subject to immediate cancellation without notice, refund or reimbursement." There are no approved third-party resellers. See can a third-party website book a campsite for you?
What AB 618 means for getting a site
The penalty structure gives people a strong reason to cancel at least 7 days before arrival rather than at the last minute. That means more sites should come back into the system a week or more out, where someone else can book them, instead of sitting empty. If a California campground you want is sold out, watching it for cancellations is one of the best ways in.
Wandering Labs watches ReserveCalifornia campgrounds and alerts you when a site matching your dates opens up. You book it yourself on ReserveCalifornia. Create a free alert, or read the full ReserveCalifornia cancellation policy guide.
This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Check ReserveCalifornia's current policies before you book.