Santa Ana City Council enacts new self-checkout rules for drug, grocery retail stores
The Santa Ana City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a new ordinance regulating self-checkout operations in retail drug stores, marking a major shift in how stores like CVS and Walgreens may operate self-service kiosks in the city.
The ordinance, considered during Tuesday’s council meeting in Santa Ana, establishes new staffing and operational requirements aimed at reducing retail theft, improving customer safety, and easing workloads on employees supervising self-checkout lanes.
Under the newly approved rules, affected retailers will be required to maintain at least one dedicated employee for every three active self-checkout kiosks. The measure also imposes a 15-item limit for customers using self-checkout stations and restricts certain purchases—including items with security tags and age-restricted products—from being processed through self-service lanes.
Supporters of the ordinance argued the regulations are necessary to combat rising retail theft and ensure workers are not overwhelmed while monitoring multiple checkout stations simultaneously. Labor advocates and union representatives said the rules would improve conditions for grocery and retail employees while also helping customers who need assistance at checkout.
Business groups, including representatives from the California Grocers Association, previously voiced concerns that the added staffing mandates could increase operating costs and ultimately lead to higher prices for consumers.
Santa Ana now joins a growing number of Southern California cities adopting stricter oversight of self-checkout technology. Similar ordinances have already been enacted in Long Beach and Costa Mesa, while Anaheim leaders are also considering comparable regulations.
City officials said the ordinance is intended to strike a balance between technological convenience and public safety as self-checkout systems continue expanding across major retail chains.
