Overview
- Lawmakers in seven states are debating limits on self‑checkout that set staffing ratios or cap items per transaction, and no statewide law has passed yet.
- In California, SB 442 is no longer moving forward per the sponsor, while New York City is discussing a draft that caps self‑checkout at 15 items and requires one worker for every three machines with daily fines enforced by the city consumer agency.
- Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington have bills that would limit stores to eight self‑checkout stations in use, require one staffed lane for every two or three machines, or block alcohol and tobacco sales at self‑scan.
- Long Beach and Costa Mesa in California already require at least one staffed checkout lane in stores that use self‑checkout under local ordinances.
- Retailers are shifting on their own, with Costco removing many self‑checkout stations and testing employee pre‑scan carts, as studies cited by lawmakers report higher theft rates at self‑scan than at cashier lanes.