SB 37 and law firm marketing in California: what changed in 2026

SB 37 changed what California lawyer ads must show and who can sue over them. Every ad now needs a lawyer or firm name and an office city, and a misled consumer can sue after a State Bar finding. This guide turns that into a checklist for your ads, website, Google profile and vendor contracts.

This page is about the marketing side. The SB 37 note covers how the bill moved, and our California advertising rules guide walks through every rule. The California state page has the short version.

What did SB 37 change for law firm marketing?

SB 37 is the bill behind the 2026 changes. The public-law copy of section 6157.2 shows that the section was updated on January 1, 2026. Two changes matter to marketing. Every ad has to show who is responsible and where the firm is. And a consumer now has a path to sue, which makes each ad variant a separate exposure.

What must every California ad show?

The required name and city must be conspicuously displayed, or intelligible if spoken (§6157.2(b)). The ad has to show the name of a California lawyer or the firm, and the city, town or county of a real office, or the State Bar address of record. A responsive search ad, a social post, a video and a landing page each need a way to show both.

Which platform limits give you relief?

Few. The relief for platforms with character, display or time limits is written for a joint advertiser acting under section 6155(g), not for an ordinary firm ad (§6157.2(b)(3)). A solo lawyer or firm running its own ads should assume the full disclosure applies in every format. If a headline cannot hold the name and city, put them where the ad shows them, such as the display URL line, the ad extension or the first frame of a video.

Who can sue, and when?

A consumer cannot sue the day an ad runs. The statute sets steps. A consumer can sue only after the consumer files a complaint with the State Bar under section 6158.4(a). The second step is that the State Bar determines that substantial evidence of a violation exists (§6157.2(c)(1)). A firm that pulls an ad after a State Bar finding and then rebroadcasts the same ad, without a court finding that it does not violate the section, can also be sued (§6157.2(c)(1)). The complaint step is covered by section 6158.4, which gives the advertiser a window to withdraw.

What can a court award?

The practical point is the phrase “per each unique advertisement”. A firm that runs dozens of headline and image combinations can have dozens of unique ads. Fewer, better-approved variants lower the exposure.

Which claims can a California ad not make?

The list sits in section 6157.2. Three items matter for online marketing. A guarantee or warranty of success regarding the outcome of a legal matter An ad may not contain misleading, deceptive or false statements about a lawyer’s or law firm’s skills, experience or record (§6157.2(a)(5)). And on recognition: A firm can cite an award only if the organization does not charge or solicit a fee, cost, or payment for the recognition or award (§6157.2(a)(6)(B)). The other test is that the recognition or award is not conferred by virtue of being a member of the organization (§6157.2(a)(6)(A)).

Check any “Super” or “Top” badge you display. If the organization charged a fee for it, drop the badge from California ads.

What should you change, channel by channel?

What is the clock after a complaint?

the advertiser has nine days to voluntarily withdraw the ad. has 21 days after delivery of the ad to decide whether substantial evidence of a violation exists. within 72 hours. That is why the pause contact matters. A complaint that sits in an inbox over a weekend can cost days you do not have.

How should you keep records?

Whoever pays for an ad must keep a true copy for one year (§6159.1). Keep each ad version, its approval and its run dates in one log. The same log answers the complaint, the agency question and the renewal conversation with your insurer.

Can you buy leads in California?

Paying for advertising is fine. Paying someone to send you clients is where California draws a line, and SB 37 (Chapter 645, Statutes of 2025) made that line easier to enforce.

• The general rule. Rule 7.2(b) says a lawyer shall not compensate, promise or give anything of value to a person for recommending or securing the lawyer’s services. The exceptions include the reasonable costs of advertisements and the usual charges of a qualified lawyer referral service.
• Referral services need a certificate. Section 6155(a) says a business that refers potential clients to attorneys must be certified by the State Bar, and no attorney may accept its referrals unless it is.
• What makes it a referral. Under section 6155(g)(2), referral activity involves someone other than the consumer and the advertising firms who refers the consumer to a firm not named in the ad.
• Shared ads are allowed, with paperwork. Joint advertising must name the advertising firms, and SB 37 added that each firm signs a joint advertising agreement taking liability for the ad’s content (§6155(g)(1)).
• Anyone can now sue. SB 37 added section 6156.5: any person may sue over a section 6155 violation, for statutory damages of $5,000 to $100,000 per violation or three times actual damages, whichever is larger.
• The rule is now in the statute too. AB 931 (Chapter 565) added section 6256(d), which repeats the ban on paying a person to recommend or secure a lawyer’s services, with the same advertising and certified-referral exceptions. A lawyer who violates section 6256 is subject to State Bar discipline.

Before you sign with a lead vendor that sends California callers, ask three questions in writing. Is the vendor a certified lawyer referral service? Does each ad name your firm, or does the vendor choose which firm gets the caller? If it is a shared ad network, where is the signed joint advertising agreement? In our reading, paying for ads your firm controls fits the advertising exception more easily than paying for each client delivered, but the State Bar and the courts decide. Our pages on whether lawyers can pay for leads and paying per client retained cover other states.

Marketing information, not legal advice. Ask your own counsel before you sign a lead or referral contract.

What does this mean for your firm?

• Fix the template once. Put the name and office city into every ad, page and profile template, then test each format.
• Approve fewer variants. Each unique ad is a separate exposure, so cull the rarely used ones.
• Name the pause contact. One person, one phone number, authority to stop an ad the day a complaint is served.

See how this applies to Google Ads and Local Services Ads, law firm SEO, injury marketing and Spanish-language marketing. For injury work in our personal injury marketing guide and to ads in our Google Ads guide. Our practice pages cover the work by case type, and the city pages cover local detail: Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento.

Get my free review and we will check your California ads, website and Google profile against this list.

Marketing information, not legal advice. California’s rules change, and the State Bar and the courts decide how they apply. Ask your own counsel before you rely on this page. Last reviewed by our editor.