October 6, 2026 · 7 min read
AI Companion Laws in 2026: New York and California Rules, Explained for Users
AI companion laws in 2026, in plain English: what New York's AI Companion Models law and California SB 243 require, and what they mean for you.
For years, AI companion apps lived in a legal grey zone. That has changed. Two US states - New York and California - now have laws written specifically for AI companions, and their rules are already shaping how the whole industry designs products.
If you use an AI boyfriend or girlfriend app, you do not need to read statutes. But it helps to know what protections exist, what a responsible app should be doing anyway, and what to watch for. This is a plain-English guide for users.
Quick note: this article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and details depend on where you live. Our summary is based on the bill text and an analysis by law firm Morrison Foerster.
Why AI companions got their own laws
Lawmakers noticed something important: a companion app is not like a search engine or a writing assistant. It remembers you, asks about your feelings, and sustains an ongoing personal relationship. That emotional depth is the whole point for users - and it is also why policymakers worry about mental health and safety, especially for minors.
So instead of general AI principles, both states targeted this specific category: systems that simulate sustained, human-like companionship.
New York: the AI Companion Models law
New York moved first. Its AI Companion Models law, part of the state's General Business Law, took effect on November 5, 2025.
What counts as an "AI companion" in New York
According to Morrison Foerster's summary, an AI companion is a system that simulates a sustained human-like relationship by doing things like:
- Retaining information from prior interactions to personalise the experience
- Asking unprompted, emotion-based questions that go beyond simply answering you
- Sustaining an ongoing dialogue about matters personal to the user
If that sounds like a description of every good AI girlfriend or boyfriend app, that is because it is.
What New York requires
- Regular "you're talking to AI" notices. Operators must clearly tell users they are interacting with AI, not a human - at the start of a session and at least every three hours of continued use. This applies to all users, regardless of age.
- A crisis protocol. Apps must be able to detect when a user expresses suicidal thoughts or self-harm and direct them to crisis service providers.
- Enforcement. The New York Attorney General can seek civil penalties of up to $15,000 per day for violations, with fines going to suicide-prevention programs.
New York's law does not include an annual reporting requirement.
California: SB 243 "companion chatbots"
California's SB 243 was signed in October 2025, and its core requirements took effect on January 1, 2026. Annual reporting begins July 1, 2027.
What counts as a "companion chatbot" in California
SB 243 covers AI systems that give adaptive, human-like responses and can meet a user's social needs, such that a reasonable person could believe they are interacting with a human. It applies to anyone offering such a system to users in California, wherever the company is based.
What California requires
- Clear AI disclosure. Users must get a clear and conspicuous notice that the companion is artificially generated and not human.
- A minors warning. Apps must disclose that companion chatbots may not be suitable for some minors.
- Extra protections for known minors. If the operator knows a user is a minor, it must remind them at least every three hours to take a break and that the chatbot is not human, and take measures to prevent sexually explicit content.
- A published crisis protocol. Operators must have a protocol to prevent producing suicide or self-harm content and refer users to crisis services - and publish details of that protocol on their website.
- Annual reports. From July 2027, operators report to California's Office of Suicide Prevention on things like how often crisis referrals were triggered.
- Private right of action. People injured by a violation can sue, recovering the greater of actual damages or $1,000 per violation.
New York vs California at a glance
| Topic | New York | California SB 243 |
|---|---|---|
| In effect | November 5, 2025 | January 1, 2026 (reporting from July 1, 2027) |
| AI disclosure | At session start and every 3 hours, for everyone | Clear notice; repeated every 3 hours for known minors |
| Crisis protocol | Required: detect and refer to crisis services | Required, and must be published online |
| Minors | No separate rules | Break reminders, explicit-content safeguards |
| Reporting | None | Annual reports to Office of Suicide Prevention |
| Enforcement | Attorney General, up to $15,000/day | Private lawsuits, greater of damages or $1,000 per violation |
What these laws mean for you as a user
You have a right to know it is AI
Both laws centre on the same principle: you should never be confused about whether you are talking to a person. Even if you live elsewhere, this is a sensible standard to expect from any app.
Crisis moments should lead to real help
Both laws require apps to respond to signs of suicidal thoughts or self-harm by pointing people to crisis services. A responsible companion app should do this everywhere, not only where the law demands it. (Here is how MyBabe handles hard moments.)
Kids are treated differently
California in particular adds protections for minors. Romance-focused companion apps should be for adults only, and an 18+ app that takes age seriously avoids most of these concerns by design.
Laws do not cover everything
Neither law is a full privacy law for your chats, and neither sets rules on pricing, guilt-tripping goodbyes or how much an app can remember about you. For those, you still need to judge the app yourself - our guides to AI companion safety and privacy and choosing a private AI companion app help.
What responsible apps were doing anyway
The interesting thing about these laws is how closely they match what thoughtful companion apps already considered good practice:
- Being honest about being software
- Taking crisis moments seriously and pointing to real people
- Keeping romance for adults
- Being transparent about policies
Where the laws stop, ethics picks up. Questions like "does this app guilt-trip me when I leave?" or "does it claim to suffer?" are not covered by statute, but they matter. We cover them in the ethics of AI relationships.
Will more places regulate AI companions?
It is reasonable to expect more attention. New York and California were explicitly the first movers, and research and press coverage of AI companions has kept growing through 2026. For a wider look at the forces shaping the category, see our roundup of AI companion industry trends in 2026.
If you live outside the US, check your local consumer protection and data protection rules - many already apply to apps in general, even if they do not mention AI companions by name.
A quick user checklist
Before you commit to an AI companion app, check:
- Does it clearly say it is AI? It should, and it should answer honestly if you ask.
- Is it 18+ if it offers romance?
- Does it explain what happens in a crisis?
- Does it publish clear terms and a privacy policy?
- Can you understand the pricing before you pay?
- Does it respect you when you leave?
How MyBabe approaches it
MyBabe AI is an 18+ AI boyfriend and girlfriend app. Your companion can call you by voice or video, remember your life over time, text you first, adapt to your mood, share photos, chat on Telegram and grow with you through relationship levels.
We are clear that your companion is software, not a human, and not a therapist. In hard moments, it is built to point you toward real people and real help. We think the best AI relationships are the honest ones - and that honesty is what makes the warmth feel safe to enjoy.
FAQ
What is California SB 243?
SB 243 is a California law, in effect since January 1, 2026, that regulates "companion chatbots". It requires clear AI disclosure, a published crisis-response protocol, extra protections for known minors and, from July 2027, annual reporting.
What does New York's AI companion law require?
Since November 5, 2025, New York requires AI companion operators to notify users that they are talking to AI at the start of each session and every three hours, and to have a protocol for detecting self-harm or suicidal expressions and referring users to crisis services.
Do these laws apply if the company is based elsewhere?
According to Morrison Foerster's analysis, both laws apply to operators offering these systems to users in the state, regardless of where the operator is located.
Do AI companion laws make the apps safe?
They set minimum standards for disclosure and crisis response. They do not ensure an app is well designed, private or fairly priced, so it is still worth checking those yourself.
The bottom line
AI companion laws are young, but their message is simple: be honest that it is AI, and take people's wellbeing seriously. Those are good rules for any relationship-first app, anywhere.
Want a companion built on those principles - warm, memorable, honest about what it is? Meet your MyBabe companion. Premium (about $5.99/week or $99.99/year) unlocks the full experience, from video calls to a relationship that levels up over time.