California has enacted AB 2018, expanding the state’s DNA Tools for missing persons investigations to include unidentified people who are living as well as deceased. The law, signed July 16, 2026, clarifies how the California Department of Justice may use its forensic database while preserving limits on family DNA samples.
Key Takeaways
- Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2018 on July 16, 2026.
- The state DNA database will cover unidentified people who are living or deceased.
- California averages about 20,000 active missing-person cases and has more than 3,000 unidentified-person reports.
- Family reference samples remain voluntary and may be removed at the donor’s request.
- The law is expected to take effect on January 1, 2027.
California’s Missing Persons DNA Program will operate under broader statutory language when AB 2018 takes effect. Previous law required a database for unidentified deceased people and high-risk missing persons. The revised wording directs the program to cover every reported unidentified person, whether living or deceased.
That distinction is the central change. It gives the California Department of Justice clearer authority to apply the database in cases involving living people whose identities are unknown, not only unidentified remains.
Attorney General Rob Bonta described the measure as “the right tool at the right time” after it was signed. Assemblymember James C. Ramos authored the bill, which was approved and filed with the Secretary of State on July 16, 2026.
The law joins other new California laws that move from legislative approval to implementation on scheduled dates. AB 2018 was enacted as Chapter 93 without an urgency clause, placing its expected effective date on January 1, 2027.
The scale of the state’s caseload gives the change added relevance. The California Department of Justice says the number of active missing-person cases averages about 20,000. Its automated database also contains more than 3,000 unidentified-person reports.
State Program Links DNA With Other Identification Records
The Missing Persons DNA Program, established in 2001, works with coroners, medical examiners and law enforcement agencies in all 58 California counties. It compares DNA from unidentified people and human remains with samples from personal belongings or relatives of missing people.
The program’s profiles are designed for human identification and can be uploaded to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS. The California database is kept separate from the state’s criminal offender DNA database.
DNA is not the only identification method used in these cases. The Missing and Unidentified Persons Section also compares physical characteristics, fingerprints, dental records and body X-rays. Investigators may review other case information when biological evidence is unavailable or inconclusive.
Missing-person cases can begin with urgent search and rescue operations before moving into records analysis or forensic identification. AB 2018 does not replace those processes. It clarifies when the state’s DNA database may be used within them.
The revised law also removes provisions tied specifically to reports of high-risk missing persons. The change shifts the database language toward the unidentified status of the person rather than the earlier categories written into the statute.
Privacy Rules Shape How DNA Tools Can Be Used
AB 2018 retains restrictions on reference samples provided by relatives. Law enforcement agencies must tell appropriate family members that they may voluntarily provide DNA or submit a personal item belonging to the missing person. The statute prohibits incentives or coercion.
A living donor may request removal of a DNA sample and profile from the database. The right also applies to a parent or guardian acting for a child who submitted a sample. Profiles and samples are confidential, with disclosure restricted to authorized personnel and specified legal uses.
The law generally requires samples and DNA taken from living people to be destroyed after a positive identification and completed report. Exceptions apply when evidence is connected to a suspected unlawful death, an active criminal investigation, a legal preservation requirement or incomplete remains that may later require identification.
The incomplete-remains provision is another specific change. It allows DNA to be retained when identified human remains are incomplete and investigators reasonably expect that more remains requiring identification may be found later.
The program also manages public case listings for investigators statewide.
AB 2018 gives California a broader legal foundation for using DNA Tools in unidentified-person cases while retaining rules governing consent, confidentiality, removal and destruction. Its practical effect will depend on the evidence available and coordination among local agencies, state forensic teams and national databases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does AB 2018 Change?
AB 2018 changes the Missing Persons DNA Program statute so the database covers reports involving unidentified people who are living or deceased. Previous wording focused on unidentified deceased people and high-risk missing persons.
When Does the New California Law Take Effect?
The law is expected to take effect on January 1, 2027. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2018 on July 16, 2026, and it was filed as Chapter 93.
How Are DNA Tools Used in Missing-Person Cases?
DNA Tools compare profiles from unidentified people or remains with samples from relatives or personal items belonging to a missing person. Investigators may also use fingerprints, dental records, X-rays and physical characteristics.
Can Relatives Remove Their DNA From the Database?
Yes. A living person who submitted a sample may request its removal, including a parent or guardian acting for a child. Family samples are voluntary.
