Bringing wine home from Baja is about to get easier for pedestrians and for California residents who drive back. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2751 on Sept. 27, according to the governor’s office, and the law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027, Uniradio Informa and San Diego Red reported this week. Under the final text of the bill, written by Assemblymember David Alvarez of San Diego, any adult who enters on foot or in a vehicle that isn’t a common carrier will be limited to six liters of alcoholic beverages every 31 days for personal or household use.
For many crossers that is a big jump. Under the rules still in force, people who walk across from Mexico, and California residents who return in a private vehicle, may bring only the amount that is exempt from federal duty, one liter every 31 days, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). Non-residents driving in, and travelers who arrive by air or sea or on a common carrier, can bring a “reasonable amount” of up to 60 liters, ABC says. Because the new text doesn’t distinguish by residence, non-residents who drive across will also fall under the six-liter cap. Nobody under 21 may bring in any alcohol.
When the bill cleared the Assembly in May, Alvarez’s office pitched it as a matter of fairness for people crossing at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, pointing to the Valle de Guadalupe wine region and to the nearly 200,000 people who cross California’s land ports every day. Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda thanked Alvarez in a letter that called his push for the legislation an important step in deepening economic, cultural and commercial ties between the two states, San Diego Red reported on Oct. 16.
What it means for your next trip
- Nothing changes before Jan. 1, 2027. For the rest of this year, the one-liter limit still applies if you walk across or drive back as a California resident.
- The law changes California’s limit, not federal customs rules. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says all articles acquired in Mexico must be declared, so declare your bottles at the inspection booth.
- Check ABC’s guidance once the law is in effect; its website still showed the current rules when we checked on Oct. 18.
- Heading to wine country? Valle de Guadalupe just made Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2027 list (our story).
Sources and review
Reviewed · 2026-10-18. Original announcement · 2026-09-27.
- Office of the Governor of California — Legislative update 9.27.2026: AB 2751 by Assemblymember David Alvarez signed ("Alcoholic beverages: imports: personal or household use: reasonable amounts") (Sept. 27, 2026)
- LegiScan — CA AB 2751 chaptered text (Chapter 635, Statutes of 2026; approved and filed Sept. 27, 2026): any adult entering as a pedestrian or by a vehicle that is not a common carrier is limited to no more than six liters every 31 days
- Uniradio Informa — California permitirá ingresar hasta seis litros de vino desde México a partir de 2027: signed Sept. 27; effective Jan. 1, 2027; six liters every 31 days for adults entering by land (Oct. 15, 2026)
- San Diego Red — Marina del Pilar agradece a David Alvarez por impulsar medida que permitirá cruzar hasta 6 litros de vino a California: AB 2751 effective Jan. 1, 2027; the governor's letter (Oct. 16, 2026)
- California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control — Importing alcoholic beverages for personal or household use: current limits from Mexico by land (one liter every 31 days for pedestrians and California residents in private vehicles; up to 60 liters for non-residents in private vehicles and by air, sea or common carrier; no one under 21) (checked Oct. 18, 2026)
- Assemblymember David Alvarez — AB 2751 passes Assembly: one liter now at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa; nearly 200,000 daily land-port crossers; fairness framing (May 2026)
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Know before you go, Mexico: all articles acquired in Mexico must be declared (checked Oct. 18, 2026)