California SB 68: The Allergen Menu Law in Plain Language

This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Laws change, and the details depend on your business. Confirm your obligations with the California Restaurant Association, your local health department, or a lawyer.

California's Senate Bill 68, the Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences Act, requires large restaurant chains to tell guests which major allergens are in each menu item. According to the California Restaurant Association, the compliance date was July 1, 2026.

Who it applies to

Per the Association's summary, a brand is covered if it meets all three of these conditions:

• It has 20 or more locations worldwide.
• Those locations operate under the same name with substantially the same menu.
• At least one location is in California.

Most independent restaurants aren't covered. A single restaurant or small local group doesn't meet the 20-location test. It may still be worth doing voluntarily, as explained below.

Which allergens

The law covers nine major allergens:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Tree nuts
• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Soy
• Sesame

This matches the list of major food allergens from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

How the information can be shown

The Association describes two ways of disclosing:

• On the menu, next to or immediately below each item.
• In a digital format, such as a QR code that links to an online menu.

There's an important condition on the second option: if you use a digital method, you must also offer a written alternative for guests who can't access digital information, such as an allergen menu, chart, grid, or booklet. A QR code by itself isn't enough.

Allergens can be given by their common names or with standardized pictograms. The Association says the requirement extends to every format, including printed menus, menu boards, drive-thru boards, kiosks, websites, apps, and online ordering.

What this means for an independent restaurant

Even if the law doesn't apply to you, your guests with allergies still have to ask. Listing allergens clearly can make their decision easier and cut down on questions to your servers. If you decide to do it:

1. Start from recipes, not memory. Go through each dish with the kitchen, including sauces, marinades, and fryer oil.
2. Choose someone to own it. Allergen information has to change when a recipe or supplier does.
3. Be careful with promises. Listing an ingredient isn't the same as guaranteeing that a dish is free of it. Kitchens share surfaces and fryers, so tell guests with severe allergies to speak to your staff.
4. Keep a printed version. Guests without a phone need the same information.

Showing allergens on a digital menu

In Pankarta, you can list allergens on each dish, and guests see them on the menu. A chain that's covered by SB 68 should check its full setup with counsel, since the rules also reach other formats and Pankarta doesn't produce the written alternative for you. It's also worth reading how to write a menu for phones.