California may be fully open, but face coverings are still required in some settings per CDC guidelines. Please read the full masking guidance from the California Department of Public Health.
Everyone Must Wear a Mask on Public Transportation and in Other Limited Settings
Everyone must wear a mask that covers the mouth and nose on public transportation (airports, planes, trains, buses, stations, etc.). Masks are also required for everyone working/attending/living in healthcare settings (including long term care facilities), k-12 schools, childcare, and other youth settings, state and local correctional facilities and detention centers, homeless shelters, emergency shelters, and cooling centers.
Fully Vaccinated1 People May Go Unmasked in Most Settings2
Fully vaccinated Californians may go unmasked in most settings, except on public transportation and the places listed above. (Workers must follow Cal/OSHA rules.)
People Who Are NOT Fully Vaccinated…
Must wear masks in all indoor public settings (such as, but not limited to, the grocery store and the movie theatre) and should wear masks in outdoor crowded settings when that region is experiencing high covid transmission.
Businesses and Venues May Ask for Vaccination Status and May Also Require Masks
Businesses, venue operators or hosts may require all patrons to wear masks, or may implement vaccine verification (which can include self-attestation of vaccination status). (Doing so would not violate HIPAA rules.)
People Cannot Be Denied Service for Wearing a Mask No business or venue may deny service to a person who chooses to wear a mask.
Some People Are Exempt from Mask Wearing
Children younger than two years old and people with certain medical conditions are not required to wear a mask. Please read our full masking guidance for more details.
For more information on when to where face coverings, view the California Department of Public Health Face Coverings Q&A here.
1Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks or more after their second dose of Pfizer/Moderna or two weeks after receiving the single dose J&J vaccine.
2Local health jurisdictions may impose stricter criteria. In workplaces, employers are subject to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) or in some workplaces the CalOSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases Standard, and should consult those regulations for additional applicable requirements.