CANNABIS TAX FUND GRANT PROGRAM
REQUEST FOR APPLICATION (RFA)
Grant Opportunity
Law Enforcement
Eligible Grant Applicants
Small and Mid-Size Law Enforcement Organizations/Agencies Small-Size: 100 Employees or Less
Mid-Size: 500 Employees or Less
Project Performance Period
July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027
This Request for Application (RFA) provides specific Grant Opportunity information for the Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program (CTFGP) 2026-2027 Grant Cycle, including important deadlines and details. To ensure all eligibility requirements are met for successful participation in the CTFGP, please review the California Code of Regulations (Title 13, Division 2, Chapter 13) and other CTFGP information posted on the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) website:
https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/cannabis-tax-fund-grant-program.
Important Dates
Activity Date
Grant Workshop January 6, 2026
Grant Application Submission Period January 7, 2026 – February 23, 2026 Grant Application Submission Deadline February 23, 2026, 5:00pm Pacific Time Grant Application Review February – May 2026
Award Announcements May – June 2026
Start of Project Performance Period July 1, 2026
Project Performance Period July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 Funding Requirements
A Grant Applicant may only submit one Grant Application, per Grant Opportunity, and shall only request the amount of grant funds necessary to complete the Project within the Project Performance Period and within the local community served by the applying agency. Activities outside the jurisdiction but within the surrounding area(s) of the applying agency may be considered on a case-by-case basis with Cannabis Grants Unit (CGU) approval.
Grant funds shall be used to implement new activities or augment existing funds, which expand current activities. Grant funds shall not replace (supplant) any federal, state and/or local funds that are appropriated or earmarked for the same purpose and are routine and/or existing state and local expenditures. Supplanting is the deliberate reduction in the amount of federal, state, or local funding appropriated to an existing program or activity because grant funds are awarded for the same purpose. It is the responsibility of the Grant Applicant to ensure supplanting does not occur.
Match Requirements
This Grant Opportunity does not require matching funds.
Project Costs
Estimated Project costs shall support CTFGP grant-funded Project activities that help address impaired driving and are directly related to the scope of work identified in the Grant Application. To be permissible, Project costs must be reasonable, necessary, and expended according to the CTFGP policies, procedures, and regulations.
Projects are required to have a realistic and prudent budget that avoids unnecessary expenditures unrelated to the Project activities. Final determination of eligibility and award shall be made by the CGU and approved within the Grant Agreement.
Please refer to Annex A for ineligible expenses.
Project Performance Period
One Year – July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027
Eligible Grant Applicants
Small-Size Law Enforcement Organizations/Agencies: 100 employees or less Mid-Size Law Enforcement Organizations/Agencies: 500 employees or less Small and Mid-Size Law Enforcement Organizations/Agencies, with the primary function of enforcing traffic laws, which includes responding to calls, making arrests, and issuing citations, pursuant to the California Penal Code, California Vehicle Code, and California Health and Safety Code.
Project Funding
Available Project funding is approximately $13 million, with a $500,000 cap, per Grant Application. The Grant Applicant must provide strong justification, measurable goals, and an immediate need for all requested budget items, as part of the Project.
Project Requirements
Requested services, equipment, and supplies shall be in direct support of grant-funded Project activities. Law Enforcement Projects shall include at least one CTFGP funded Project activity and focus on one or more of the following areas:
• Increase driving under the influence (DUI)/driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) enforcement efforts (ex: DUI Saturation Patrols, DUI Checkpoints) • Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program courses (ex: SFST Training, ARIDE Training, DRE Training), and other trainings to help increase the knowledge of law enforcement personnel in detecting and removing impaired drivers from the roadway • General prevention education and community outreach designed to educate the public about the dangers of impaired driving (ex: presentations to high school and/or college students, with a direct focus on Drive High = DUI, or another campaign message against impaired driving)
If engaging in CTFGP grant-funded Saturation Patrols, DUI Checkpoints, or other enforcement activities in areas where the applicant does not have primary traffic jurisdiction, the applicant should consult with the agency having primary traffic jurisdiction.
If the Project includes limited, education-based activities, in conjunction with other enforcement-related activities/efforts, then Law Enforcement Organizations/Agencies should apply for this Law Enforcement Grant Opportunity.
If the Project, in its entirety, solely focuses on an innovative, education-based program for local communities, then Law Enforcement Organizations/Agencies should apply for the Education Grant Opportunity.
Eligible Project Cost Categories
Personnel
Costs may include compensation for wages, such as overtime, and benefits (annual leave and sick leave) for work directly related to, and consistent with, the Project. Personnel hours shall be awarded based on the number of CTFGP grant-funded Project activities approved by CGU.
To be eligible for reimbursement, personnel services must occur within the Project Performance Period.
Eligible expenses may include, but are not limited to:
• Hours worked on Project activities above and beyond normal work duties, including DUI Saturation Patrols and DUI Checkpoints
• Attend or instruct approved trainings related to impaired driving • Backfill for staff attending trainings
Travel
Costs may include travel associated with approved in-state and out-of-state Project-related conferences, seminars, workshops, and trainings. The most economical mode of travel, in terms of direct expenses to the Project, must be used. Out-of-state travel is only allowed in exceptional situations. To be eligible for reimbursement, travel must occur within the Project Performance Period.
Eligible expenses may include, but are not limited to:
• Mileage (based on current State rate) or fuel expenses (rental vehicles only) • Hotel accommodations for duration of event/training
• Commercial airline fares
• Parking fees
• Bridge tolls and/or taxi or bus fares
For maximum allowed per diem rates, including meals and lodging, please visit the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website:
https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/travel-reimbursements.aspx.
Equipment
Costs may include non-expendable, tangible, personal property having a normal useful life of more than one year, and an acquisition cost of at least $5,000 (ex: four identical assets, which cost $1,250 each, for a total of $5,000, are not considered an equipment purchase). Equipment shall be directly related and necessary to complete CTFGP grant-funded DUI/DUID enforcement, checkpoint, and education activities included in the Project. Equipment should be purchased at the beginning of the Project Performance Period to ensure it is utilized when completing corresponding Project activities. If requesting equipment, the Project shall contain a correlating CTFGP grant-funded Project activity that takes place in the Applicant’s jurisdiction (ex: message board for DUI checkpoints). To be eligible for reimbursement,
equipment must be purchased and received within the Project Performance Period. If requesting a vehicle, the requestor shall only request to outfit the vehicle with the standard equipment similar to the rest of the agency’s vehicle fleet.
Consultants/Contracts
Costs may include professional services necessary to carry out Project activities, including goals and deliverables, that are clearly outlined in the Grant Application. A copy of the Contract and/or Scope of Work must be submitted to and approved by the CGU prior to commencement of work. To be eligible for reimbursement, Consultants/Contracts services must occur within the Project Performance Period.
Eligible expenses may include, but are not limited to:
• Social media costs
• Billboards
• Advertisements
Other Direct Costs
Other Direct Costs shall be directly related and necessary to complete CTFGP grant-funded activities included in the Project. Other Direct Costs should be purchased at the beginning of the Project Performance Period to ensure they are utilized when completing corresponding Project activities. To be eligible for reimbursement, Other Direct Costs must be purchased and received within the Project Performance Period.
Eligible expenses may include, but are not limited to:
• Equipment with a single unit acquisition cost under $5,000 (ex: Preliminary Alcohol Screening [PAS] devices)
• Materials and Supplies (ex: cones, tents, small light towers, reflective vests) • Registration fees for approved conferences
• Educational/outreach materials (ex: brochures, pamphlets) Additional Information
References
• Revenue and Taxation Code Section 34019
• California Code of Regulations, Title 13, Division 2, Chapter 13 For additional questions, please contact the Cannabis Grants Unit at (916) 843-4360 or via email at [email protected].
ANNEX A
Ineligible Expenses for
Law Enforcement Grant Opportunity
Items
Building/Facility Construction
Computers for Administrative Office Work
Drones/Drone Software, Accessories, and Storage
Entertainment
Equipment Giveaways
Equipment-Only Projects (Must have correlating CTFGP grant-funded project activity) Expenditures Outside the Project Period
Expenses not tied to a correlating project activity (ex: Request checkpoint supplies without a CTFGP funded Checkpoint within the project)
Facility Rental
Food During Enforcement Efforts (ex: Pizza at DUI checkpoint) Food For Personnel/Instructors/Training
Frozen Positions
Fuel, Mileage and Toll Costs (When using agency vehicles for travel) Full Salary Positions
Gifts
Highway Construction, Maintenance, Design
Land
Law Enforcement Items (spike strips, lidar/radar, license plate reader, flock cameras, e-site printers, station-related software)
Liability Insurance
Lobbying Costs
Magnetic Decals (CTFGP funded vehicles)
Office Furniture and Fixtures
Overhead Costs (ex: Microsoft Office software, cellular plans, radio subscriptions, vehicle insurance & maintenance)
Personnel Costs to attend coalition meetings and meetings not specific to the planning and implementation of the CTFGP funded activities
Personnel Costs for Presenting at Conferences
Personnel Time for Conference, Seminar, or Workshop Attendance Personnel Support at Non CTFGP Funded Checkpoints
Professional Fees (ex: membership dues)
Speed Only Radar Signs
Supplanting
Surveillance/Undercover Vehicles
SWAT/Armored Vehicles
Traffic Investigation Equipment (ex: 3D scanners)
Travel (stays and expenses outside of event dates, third party travel site reservations, airline/hotel/rental car/ride share fees paid by rewards credits [credits, points, etc.], upgraded services)
Travel for Presenting at Conferences
Unapproved Trainings, Equipment, and or Other Direct Costs Uniforms
Utilities
Weapons
Vehicle Operations Training
Vehicles used for administrative services
**The items listed above are provided as examples and do not constitute all ineligible costs**