Alvarez Bill AB 2751 Passes Assembly, Clearing Path for Fairer Alcohol Import Rules at CA-MX Land Border Crossings

• Chris Jonsmyr
• Communications Director
• (619) 498-8580
• [email protected]

SACRAMENTO, CA - Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-San Diego) announced today that Assembly Bill 2751, the Beverage Import Parity Act of 2026, has passed the Assembly. AB 2751 would align California's import limits for alcohol from Mexico with those of other states like Texas, allowing land border crossers to bring back up to six liters of alcohol for personal consumption, the same amount already permitted for travelers arriving by air or sea.

"This bill is about fairness. If you fly into San Diego or arrive by cruise ship, you can bring home a reasonable amount of wine or spirits from Baja California, but if you cross at San Ysidro or Otay Mesa, those same rules do not apply" said Assemblymember Alvarez. "AB 2751 fixes that. I'm grateful to my colleagues in the Assembly for their support and look forward to making the case in the Senate."

Under current California law, travelers entering the state from Mexico by air or sea may bring in a reasonable quantity of alcoholic beverages for personal use, while those crossing by land at San Ysidro or Otay Mesa are restricted to just one liter. AB 2751 would raise the land-crossing limit to six liters, removing a longstanding inequity that has treated land border crossers differently from other travelers.

The CaliBaja Mega Region, encompassing San Diego County and Baja California, is one of the most economically integrated cross-border regions in the world. Nearly 200,000 people cross daily through the CA-MX land ports of entry, and many travelers regularly visit Baja California's world-class destinations, including the internationally renowned wine country of Valle de Guadalupe. AB 2751 recognizes those binational realities and removes a rule that has long failed to reflect them.

"I'm glad to see that AB 2751 has been approved in the Assembly and will now move on to the Senate," said Jared Gutierrez, Director and Founder, JG Concierge PR & Travel Experiences. "This bill represents a necessary strategic step to strengthen the economic and tourism dynamics of our binational region. It also provides greater clarity on how many bottles visitors can bring back when returning to California, something many people genuinely want to know after visiting our wine region."

The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration. If passed by both chambers and signed by the Governor this fall, the measure would take effect January 1, 2027.