---
type: "Bill"
title: "Transfer of real property: transfer fees."
description: "Existing law generally regulates the transfer of real property, including by prohibiting, on or after January 1, 2019, the creation of a transfer fee, except as provided. Existing law defines \"transfer fee\" to mean, subject to certain exceptions, a fee payment requirement imposed within a covenant, restriction, or condition contained in a deed, contract, security instrument, or other document affecting the transfer or sale of, or any interest in, real property that requires a fee be paid as a result of transfer of the real property."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20232024"
identifier: "SB 1399"
citation: "California SB 1399 (20232024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Transfer of real property", "transfer fees"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Stern"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 19
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2024-02-16"
last_action: "2024-09-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d111b178-ed81-43a6-ad9d-365a2e984085"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1399"
source_hash: "d70cfb801abec52579090c4964d63d2818fde5641e80596c532f27388caa646b"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California SB 1399 (20232024) — Transfer of real property: transfer fees.

Existing law generally regulates the transfer of real property, including by prohibiting, on or after January 1, 2019, the creation of a transfer fee, except as provided. Existing law defines "transfer fee" to mean, subject to certain exceptions, a fee payment requirement imposed within a covenant, restriction, or condition contained in a deed, contract, security instrument, or other document affecting the transfer or sale of, or any interest in, real property that requires a fee be paid as a result of transfer of the real property.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **02/16/24 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1399&version=20230SB139999INT)
2. **06/25/24 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1399&version=20230SB139998AMD)
3. **09/22/24 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1399&version=20230SB139996CHP)
4. **SB1399** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1399)
5. **08/16/24 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1399&version=20230SB139997ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass. To Consent Calendar. — **11–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass — **11–0** (pass) · upper
- SB 1399 Stern Consent Calendar Second Day — **72–0** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Special Consent — **37–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Stern — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2024-02-16** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2024-02-20** From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 18.
- **2024-02-29** Referred to Com. on JUD. `referral-committee`
- **2024-04-12** Set for hearing April 30.
- **2024-05-01** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 3820.) (April 30). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-05-02** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2024-05-20** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 4017.) Ordered to the Assembly. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2024-05-21** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1`
- **2024-05-28** Referred to Com. on JUD. `referral-committee`
- **2024-06-25** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2024-07-02** From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 2). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-07-03** Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2024-08-08** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 6251.) Ordered to the Senate. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2024-08-08** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- **2024-08-13** Ordered to special consent calendar.
- **2024-08-15** Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 5083.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. `amendment-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-08-22** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
- **2024-09-22** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2024-09-22** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 475, Statutes of 2024. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d111b178-ed81-43a6-ad9d-365a2e984085`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).