[OkayPhysicist]

SB 699 (passed in 2024) made noncompetes illegal to enforce against against California workers, regardless of where the noncompete was signed. It's very unambiguous on the topic. However, as you correctly pointed out, that involves getting your case in front of a California judge, which you best bet the company suing you for violation of your noncompete is going to do their damndest to avoid.

However, under the wording of SB 699, even if you get sued for violating your noncompete in, say, Michigan, and lose, you can then sue that company, in California courts, and as long as California has jurisdiction (which they probably do, given most businesses don't completely avoid doing business in the largest economy in the country), you can successfully sue them for suing you over the noncompete.