Walk into the back of most California restaurants and you’ll find a bulletin board with a handful of notices. Some are current. Some expired two years ago. A few required ones are missing entirely — because nobody told the owner they existed.
California restaurant required workplace notices for 2026 aren’t just a formality. Missing or outdated postings are citable violations during labor agency audits, and fines start at $100 per violation per day. With 10+ required notices across multiple agencies, gaps are common even in well-run operations.
This post gives you the complete, current list — organized by agency, with notes on what’s changed recently and exactly where each notice must be displayed.
The Ground Rules
Before the list: a few things that apply to every required posting in California.
- Notices must be posted where employees can reasonably see them. A break room, a hallway to the back of house, or near a time clock all work. A locked office does not.
- Outdated versions count as missing. If your minimum wage poster shows last year’s rate, it fails the same way a blank wall does.
- Language requirements apply. If 10% or more of your workforce primarily speaks a language other than English, many notices must also be posted in that language. Spanish-language versions are available from each issuing agency.
- Some notices go to customers, not employees. The health inspection grade card and Prop 65 warning, for example, must be visible to the public near your entrance or point of service.
With that, here’s every required posting for California restaurants in 2026.
Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) / DLSE
The DIR and its Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) issue the largest share of required notices. Most operators know about some of these — but the full list is longer than most realize.
1. IWC Wage Order No. 5 (Public Housekeeping)
This is the foundational wage and hour notice for restaurants. It covers minimum wage, overtime, meal periods, rest breaks, and working conditions. You must post the full text — not a summary — in a location visible to all employees. Download the current version directly from the DIR website to ensure you have the right year.
2. Minimum Wage Notice
California’s statewide minimum wage is $16.50/hour as of January 1, 2026. If your county or city has a higher local minimum (Los Angeles, San Francisco, and many others do), your posted notice must reflect the higher of the two rates. Using the state rate when a local rate is higher is a violation. Check your local ordinance and update accordingly.
3. Paid Sick Leave Notice
Updated significantly under SB 616 (effective January 1, 2024), California now requires employers to provide at least 5 days (40 hours) of paid sick leave per year. The notice must reflect the current accrual rules and employee rights. If you’re still posting the pre-2024 version, replace it.
4. SB 294 Disclosure Notice
One of the newer additions to the list of California restaurant required workplace notices for 2026. SB 294 expanded employee disclosure requirements around wages, rights, and reporting channels. The notice must be posted where employees can see it, and employers must be able to document that employees have been informed of its contents at hire.
5. Whistleblower Protections Notice
California Labor Code §1102.8 requires employers to post a notice informing employees of their rights and protections when reporting violations of law. The notice must be posted in a conspicuous location and include the state’s whistleblower hotline number.
Civil Rights Department (CRD / formerly DFEH)
6. DFEH Harassment and Discrimination Notice
The CRD (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing) requires employers with 5 or more employees to post a notice informing employees of their rights under FEHA — including protections against discrimination and sexual harassment, and how to file a complaint. The agency rebranded from DFEH to CRD in 2022; make sure you’re posting the current CRD version, not the old DFEH one.
7. CFRA / Family and Medical Leave Notice
The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) applies to employers with 5 or more employees. The required notice explains employee rights to take protected leave for family care, medical conditions, and military exigencies. This is separate from the federal FMLA notice and must be posted even if your employee count is below the FMLA threshold.
8. Pregnancy Disability Leave Notice
Separate from CFRA, this notice covers rights and protections for employees who are disabled due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related condition. Required for any employer with 5 or more employees.
Cal/OSHA
9. Safety and Health Protection on the Job (Cal/OSHA)
The foundational Cal/OSHA posting, required for every California employer. It outlines employee rights to a safe workplace, how to report hazards, and protections against retaliation.
10. Emergency Phone Numbers
Emergency contact information (fire, police, medical) must be posted near every telephone in the workplace that employees use. This one is easy to overlook because it doesn’t look like a formal “labor law poster” — but it’s a Cal/OSHA requirement.
11. SB 553 Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Notice
Required for all California employers since July 1, 2024. You must post a notice informing employees that a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) exists, how to access it, and how to report incidents or concerns. The WVPP itself must be available to employees on request. This is one of the most commonly missing notices we see in restaurant audits right now — because it was only added in mid-2024 and many operators haven’t updated their boards since.
Employment Development Department (EDD)
12. Unemployment Insurance / State Disability Insurance Notice (DE 1857A)
Informs employees about their rights to unemployment insurance, state disability insurance (SDI), and paid family leave (PFL). Post in a location accessible to all employees. The EDD updates this notice periodically — verify you have the current version.
13. Notice to Employees: Injuries Caused by Work (DE 1857I)
Separate from the workers’ compensation notice (below), this EDD notice specifically covers SDI benefits for work-related injuries and how to file. Often bundled on all-in-one poster sets but must be present.
Department of Workers’ Compensation (DWC)
14. Workers’ Compensation Notice (DWC Form 7 or equivalent)
Required for all California employers. Must include your workers’ compensation insurance carrier name, address, and claims contact information. This is not a generic notice — it must be filled in with your specific carrier details. A blank template posted on the wall is not compliant.
Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC)
15. ABC RBS Notice (if licensed)
If your restaurant holds an ABC license and serves alcohol, you must post the ABC’s Responsible Beverage Service notice near your bar or point of alcohol service. This requirement goes alongside the RBS certification California requirements that mandate every alcohol-serving employee hold a valid certification. The notice and the certifications are two separate obligations — you need both.
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
16. Proposition 65 Warning (if applicable)
If your operation uses, serves, or exposes customers or employees to any Prop 65-listed chemical above threshold levels (this applies to many common restaurant scenarios including grilled foods, certain cookware, and alcohol), a clear warning must be posted where customers can see it before entering or being exposed. This is a customer-facing notice, not an employee notice — and enforcement is active. Fines for missing Prop 65 warnings can reach $2,500 per day per violation.
County Health Department
17. Health Inspection Grade Card
Your most recent health inspection grade card must be posted in a location visible to customers, near your entrance or front register. It cannot be covered, obscured, or removed except by the health department. This is the one notice most operators know about — but its placement requirements are stricter than operators often realize.
What California Restaurant Labor Law Posters Look Like in Practice
If you’re wondering what notices a California restaurant has to post in total, the list above runs to 17 distinct items — plus any county-specific additions in your jurisdiction. California restaurant labor law posters for 2026 from all-in-one poster vendors typically cover the DIR, CRD, Cal/OSHA, and EDD items on a single large laminated sheet. That covers roughly items 1–13 above.
What all-in-one posters typically don’t include:
- The SB 553 WVPP notice (too new for most 2024-edition posters)
- The SB 294 disclosure notice
- The Workers’ Compensation notice with your specific carrier details
- The ABC RBS notice (industry-specific)
- The Prop 65 warning (situation-specific)
- Your health inspection grade card
This is the gap most operators have. They bought an all-in-one poster set in 2023, put it up, and assumed they were covered. They’re not.
What Changes in 2026 Specifically
Three items on the list above have changed enough in the past 18 months that operators who haven’t done a notice audit recently are likely out of compliance:
- Minimum wage notice — must reflect the 2026 state and local rates
- SB 553 WVPP notice — required since July 1, 2024; still missing from many restaurants
- SB 294 disclosure notice — new requirement for 2026; not included in older all-in-one sets
If you haven’t updated your notice board since 2023, treat this as a full audit year. Walk your premises, photograph everything currently posted, and compare it against the list above.
How ComplianceKitchen Keeps Your Notices Current
California updates required notices more often than most operators track. A minimum wage increase, a new law, an agency rebrand — any of these can render a current posting outdated without a clear announcement to restaurant owners.
ComplianceKitchen tracks every required notice for your California location and flags when something changes or expires:
- Notice library updated in real time — when California law changes, your required list updates automatically
- Gap alerts — if a required notice is missing from your compliance profile, you’re flagged before an audit surfaces it
- RBS certification tracking — alongside the ABC RBS notice requirement, track certification status for every alcohol-serving employee, with renewal alerts before they lapse
- Audit-ready documentation — export your full compliance record any time a labor agency, health inspector, or insurance auditor asks for it
The operators who stay compliant aren’t checking the DIR website every month. They have a system that does it for them.