How California treats non-competes
California is the strongest position in the country for an employee facing a non-compete. The statute voids virtually all employee non-competes, and amendments taking effect in 2024 went further than voiding them: they placed affirmative obligations on employers. A California non-compete is not merely unenforceable in the background — there is a mechanism attached to it.
What that means in practice
- Virtually all employee non-competes are void, regardless of how narrowly they are drafted.
- 2024 amendments require employers to give proactive written notice to current and former employees that their non-compete is void.
- The amendments provide for statutory damages and attorney's fees for workers who successfully challenge a non-compete.
- That enforcement mechanism is what distinguishes California from other states that void non-competes without providing a remedy.
Non-solicitation is a separate question
Non-solicitation is a separate clause and is treated separately in law. Do not assume a void non-compete means every restrictive covenant in your agreement falls away — read what remains, and have it reviewed.
General information, not legal advice
Start with the mechanics
The reasonableness test, what a radius is measured from, the access-to-care argument, and the difference between a non-compete and a non-solicitation clause are covered in the national guide to veterinary non-competes. Read that first — this page only covers what is specific to California.
Other states
Only states we have researched and dated appear here. Others are added in batches rather than generated in bulk — see the national guide for why.