CHAPTER 2. Boxing, Wrestling, and Martial Arts [18600. - 18888.12.]
Heading of Chapter 2 renumbered from Chapter 8 by Stats. 1988, Ch. 160, Sec. 6.
§§ 18600–18888.12 · 174 sections
ARTICLE 1. Administration §§ 18600–18618 · 15 sections
- § 18600 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Boxing Act or the State Athletic Commission Act. Whenever a reference is made to the Boxing Act or the…
- § 18601 The Legislature may amend, revise, or supplement any part of this chapter.
- § 18602 (a) Except as provided in this section, there is in the Department of Consumer Affairs the State Athletic Commission, which consists of seven members. Five…
- § 18602.1 Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the State Athletic Commission in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions.…
- § 18602.5 (a) The commission shall adopt and submit a strategic plan to the Governor and the Legislature on or before September 30, 2008. The commission shall also…
- § 18604 The appointing authority may remove any member of the commission for causes specified in Section 106.
- § 18605 A majority of the appointed members of the commission constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The affirmative vote of a majority of those…
- § 18606 The members of the commission shall elect one of their number as the chair and another member as the vice-chair. The chair and vice-chair shall be elected at…
- § 18607 Each member of the commission shall receive a per diem and necessary travel expenses as provided in Section 103.
- § 18608 The commission is subject to all of the provisions of Division 1 (commencing with Section 100) and for the purposes of that division shall be deemed to be a…
- § 18610 The commission shall adopt a seal.
- § 18611 The commission shall adopt, amend, or repeal, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, rules and regulations as may be necessary to enable it to…
- § 18613 (a) (1) The commission shall appoint a person exempt from civil service who shall be designated as an executive officer and who shall exercise the powers and…
- § 18615 No inspector shall be assigned to regulate an event under the authority or jurisdiction of the commission, who, within the preceding six months, has not…
- § 18618 The commission shall furnish to the Governor and the Legislature a report, on or before July 30, 2012, on the following: (a) The condition of the State…
ARTICLE 2. General Provisions §§ 18620–18631 · 11 sections
- § 18620 The definitions contained in this article shall be for terms used in this chapter and shall be applicable unless otherwise specifically provided.
- § 18621 “Commission” means the State Athletic Commission.
- § 18622 The words “club” and “promoter” are synonomous, may be used interchangeably, and mean a corporation, partnership, association, individual, or other…
- § 18623 A professional or amateur boxer or martial arts fighter is one who engages in a boxing or martial arts contest and who possesses fundamental skills in his or…
- § 18624 “Committee” means an advisory committee on medical and safety standards created by this article.
- § 18625 (a) As described in the specific provisions of the act, whether referring to a professional or amateur contest or match, the terms “contest” and “match” are…
- § 18627 (a) “Martial arts” means any form of karate, kung fu, tae kwon do, kickboxing or any combination of full contact martial arts, including mixed martial arts, or…
- § 18628 “Manager” means any person who does any of the following: (a) By contract, agreement, or other arrangement with any person, undertakes or has undertaken to…
- § 18629 “School, college, or university” means a secondary school, the University of California, a California State University, public community college, or any other…
- § 18630 “Proprietary interest” means any membership, coownership, stock ownership, legal or beneficial interest, profit-sharing arrangement, or other proprietary…
- § 18631 “License” as used in this chapter also includes a “permit”.
ARTICLE 3. Jurisdiction, Licenses, and Exemptions §§ 18640–18656 · 14 sections
- § 18640 The commission has the sole direction, management, control of, and jurisdiction over all professional and amateur boxing, professional and amateur kickboxing,…
- § 18640.5 (a) The commission, at its regularly scheduled meetings, shall invite testimony from boxing stakeholders to identify actions that may lead to greater…
- § 18641 The commission may license clubs to conduct, hold, or give, and shall license referees, judges, matchmakers, and timekeepers, and may license assistant…
- § 18642 The commission may license professional and amateur boxers, professional and amateur martial arts fighters, and booking agents, managers of professional boxers…
- § 18642.5 A professional boxer or martial arts fighter shall, prior to licensure by the commission, demonstrate his or her ability to perform. If at any time a licensed…
- § 18645 (a) There is hereby created within the jurisdiction of the State Athletic Commission an Advisory Committee on Medical and Safety Standards. (b) The committee…
- § 18645.1 (a) (1) The commission shall establish, by regulation, a review and approval process for applicants or licensees under this chapter who test positive for…
- § 18646 (a) This chapter applies to all amateur boxing, wrestling, and full contact martial arts contests. (b) The commission may, however, authorize one or more…
- § 18648 The commission shall prescribe standards as necessary, for the licensure of any persons required to be licensed by this chapter or by the commission’s…
- § 18649 (a) The administration or use of any drugs, alcohol, stimulants, or injections in any part of the body or the use of any prohibited substance specified in the…
- § 18653 No person shall train a professional boxer or kickboxer or martial arts athlete unless he or she has been licensed by the commission. A professional trainer is…
- § 18654 Failure of a licensed professional trainer, fighter, boxer, second, or manager to report an injury or knockout of a licensed boxer or fighter to the commission…
- § 18655 This chapter does not apply to any contest conducted under the supervision or control of an entity of the United States Government.
- § 18656 This chapter does not apply to any contest conducted by, or participated in exclusively by, any school, college, or university, or by any association or…
ARTICLE 4. Applications §§ 18660–18679 · 10 sections
- § 18660 Any person desiring a license issued under this chapter shall submit an application to the commission on an application form provided by the commission. The…
- § 18661 The executive officer or his or her designee shall review and investigate all applications filed with the commission. The executive officer or designee shall…
- § 18662 Any applicant for a license may be required to appear before the commission as it or the executive officer may deem necessary.
- § 18665 (a) All applications for a promoter’s license shall contain a true statement of all persons connected with or having a proprietary interest in the promoter.…
- § 18666 All promoters shall submit in writing for prior approval by the commission, any change at any time in the persons connected with or having a proprietary…
- § 18667 The commission shall not issue any promoter’s license to an applicant unless the commission is satisfied that the applicant is the real party in interest, and…
- § 18668 Licensed promoters may engage in promotions with other licensed promoters, so long as each promoter holds a valid, unexpired license, and receives the written…
- § 18673 (a) All applications for a manager’s license shall contain a true statement of all persons connected with, or having a proprietary interest in, the management…
- § 18674 All managers shall submit in writing, for prior approval by the commission, any change at any time in the persons connected with or having a proprietary…
- § 18679 The commission may issue temporary permits prior to licensure, as provided by regulations of the commission.
ARTICLE 5. Bonds §§ 18680–18685 · 4 sections
- § 18680 Before any license is issued to any club to conduct, hold, or give a contest or match, other than an amateur contest or match, the applicant shall file a bond…
- § 18681 Before any license is issued to any club to conduct, hold, or give an amateur contest or match, the applicant shall file a bond with the commission in an…
- § 18684 The bonds required under this article shall guarantee, in order of priority, the payment of all taxes and fines due and payable to the state, the payment of…
- § 18685 For the purposes of this article, a ceritifcate of deposit payable to the commission, or a savings account assigned to the commission, shall be considered…
ARTICLE 7. Regulation of Contests §§ 18700–18748 · 28 sections
- § 18700 All buildings or structures used or intended to be used to conduct, hold, give a contest or match, or exhibition shall be safe and shall conform to the laws,…
- § 18701 There shall be posted in public view at every place that a contest is held a notice in English and Spanish which states that it is unlawful to throw any object…
- § 18702 (a) No person under 18 years of age shall participate as a contestant in any professional contest or match or exhibition. (b) Any person, irrespective of age,…
- § 18703 All admission tickets to any contest or exhibition shall have printed clearly upon the face thereof the purchase price of the ticket, and no ticket shall be…
- § 18704 (a) Subject to subdivision (b), a professional fighter licensed under this chapter shall be entitled to a minimum purse of two hundred dollars ($200) per round…
- § 18705 Every promoter shall have at its own expense in attendance at every contest, a licensed physician approved by the commission who has had not less than three…
- § 18705.5 The commission shall adopt regulations detailing the criteria for approval of a licensed physician pursuant to Section 18705.
- § 18706 (a) Not later than at the weigh-in time, which shall be not more than 30 hours prior to the beginning of the first event, the physician provided for in Section…
- § 18707 A physician in attendance at any contest or match pursuant to Section 18705 shall have the authority to stop any contest or match that is conferred upon the…
- § 18708 If a professional or amateur fighter licensed under this chapter or subject to the requirements of this chapter requires immediate medical care as ordered by a…
- § 18710 In its discretion, the commission may order a special medical examination to be undertaken by any licensee, the report of which shall be made to the…
- § 18711 (a) (1) (A) The commission shall require, as a condition of licensure and as a part of the application process, the examination by a licensed physician and…
- § 18712 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person applying for a license or the renewal of a license as a professional boxer or as a professional…
- § 18714 For the purpose of studying and recommending medical and safety standards for the conduct of boxing and martial arts, the commission may call meetings of those…
- § 18720 (a) No boxing contest or match shall be more than 12 rounds of not more than three minutes each in length, except that championship contests may, if the…
- § 18721 The commission may by rule specify the frequency with which boxers may participate in a contest.
- § 18723 All gloves used by contestants in professional and amateur boxing contests or matches shall be approved by the commission and constructed so that: (a) The…
- § 18724 All professional and amateur boxing contests or matches shall be performed on a ring floor and padding which meet at least the following specifications: (a)…
- § 18725 In addition to the requirements of this act, the commission may establish glove weights, equipment standards, safety standards, and the length of rounds in…
- § 18728 The commission shall establish by rule the weight spreads and classes of contestants.
- § 18730 A referee shall be in attendance and direct and control at every boxing contest. Referees shall enforce the rules of the commission at every boxing contest.
- § 18731 (a) In addition to the other requirements of this chapter and regulations adopted thereunder, no referee or physician and surgeon shall be assigned to a boxing…
- § 18732 Before starting a contest, the referee shall ascertain from each contestant, the name of his or her chief second, and shall hold such chief second responsible…
- § 18733 The referee shall stop a contest when a contestant shows a marked superiority, or is apparently outclassed.
- § 18734 (a) The commission shall designate the scoring officials for each contest. (b) The referee may render a decision at the end of a boxing contest if authorized…
- § 18735 Referees and other boxing officials appointed by the commission while performing duties required under this chapter by the commission shall be entitled to the…
- § 18738 (a) A boxer who intentionally hits a contestant with a rabbit punch or with a punch on that part of the body over the kidneys shall be penalized by the loss of…
- § 18748 Recognizing the need for uniformity in championship contests, the commission may exempt championship contests from any provision of this chapter and authorize…
ARTICLE 8. Amateur Boxing §§ 18750–18758 · 7 sections
- § 18750 No person shall appear as a contestant in any amateur boxing contest who has received any compensation or reward, except for actual expenses or trophies, in…
- § 18751 Except as provided in Section 18752, only an award may be given to each contestant in any amateur boxing contest which does not exceed the sum of five hundred…
- § 18752 Unless the written permission of the commission is first obtained, it is a misdemeanor for any promoter to pay or cause to be paid to any coach, trainer, or…
- § 18755 No contestant in an amateur boxing contest shall use any bandage on his or her hand or arm except soft surgical bandages not over two inches wide and ten yards…
- § 18756 No amateur boxing contest shall be more than four rounds of not more than two minutes each, or three rounds of three minutes each, in length. There shall be…
- § 18757 At every amateur boxing contest, any representative of the commission shall stop the contest whenever it appears that the contestants are unevenly matched,…
- § 18758 No amateur boxing contest shall be held in conjunction with vaudeville shows, dances, or entertainments of any sort.
ARTICLE 9. Martial Arts §§ 18760–18770 · 9 sections
- § 18760 Except as otherwise provided by this article, “boxing” as used in this chapter includes “kickboxing” and “martial arts.” Sections 18720, 18721, 18723, 18725,…
- § 18761 Rules and regulations of the commission relating to professional boxing shall apply to kickboxing and martial arts, except where specifically excluded by the…
- § 18763 The commission shall by rule and regulation, regulate kickboxing and martial arts in accordance with Section 18640.
- § 18765 The commission shall, by rule and regulation, prescribe the length and duration of professional and amateur kickboxing and martial arts contests, the weight…
- § 18766 Every contestant in an amateur kickboxing or martial arts contest under the age of 18 years shall wear protective headgear approved by the commission.
- § 18767 This chapter shall not apply to light and noncontact kickboxing and martial arts, and kickboxing and martial arts instruction and schools.
- § 18768 The commission shall not function as a sanctioning body, nor shall it grant titles to fighters or to individual events. This function shall be retained by such…
- § 18769 (a) The commission may appoint an advisory committee to advise the commission on the provisions of this article. (b) The advisory committee shall be composed…
- § 18770 (a) (1) The commission shall establish an advisory pankration subcommittee to investigate the rules and conduct of contests involving or claiming to involve…
ARTICLE 12. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs §§ 18800–18828 · 24 sections
- § 18800 As of July 1, 2004, all moneys received by the commission under this chapter shall be accounted for and reported by detailed statements furnished by the…
- § 18801 The salaries and expenses of the members and employees, and the operating expenses of the commission shall be paid by the Treasurer on the warrant of the…
- § 18802 The commission is, with respect to accounting, auditing, budget, financial and personal matters, subject to all laws and requirements now or hereafter imposed…
- § 18804 The application and renewal fee for a license to promote or conduct a professional contest or exhibition shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000).
- § 18805 The application and renewal fee for a license to promote or conduct amateur boxing contests shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250).
- § 18806 The application and renewal fee for a boxing, kickboxing, or martial arts matchmaker’s license shall be two hundred dollars ($200).
- § 18807 The application and renewal fee for a boxing, kickboxing, or martial arts assistant matchmaker’s license shall be two hundred dollars ($200).
- § 18808 The application and renewal fee for a booking agent’s license shall be two hundred dollars ($200).
- § 18809 The application and renewal fee for a professional boxer, kickboxer, or martial arts fighter license shall be sixty dollars ($60).
- § 18810 The application and renewal fee for a boxing, kickboxing, and martial arts manager’s license shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150).
- § 18811 The application and renewal fee for a boxing, kickboxing, and martial arts trainer’s license, chief second’s and second’s license shall be fifty dollars ($50).
- § 18812 The application and renewal fee for a professional boxing, kickboxing, and martial arts referee’s or judge’s license shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150).
- § 18813 The application and renewal fee for an amateur boxing, kickboxing, and martial arts referee’s and judge’s license shall be seventy-five dollars ($75).
- § 18814 The application and renewal fee for a timekeeper’s license shall be fifty dollars ($50) unless the commission establishes a lower fee by regulation.
- § 18815 The application and renewal fee for a sparring permit shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).
- § 18816 The application and renewal fee for a licensed professional trainer, as described in Section 18653, shall be two hundred dollars ($200).
- § 18819 The fee for a simultaneous telecast permit under Section 18831 shall be fifty dollars ($50) per event.
- § 18820 The commission shall charge a twenty-dollar ($20) fee to issue federal identification cards. Cards shall be reissued once every four years.
- § 18822 (a) For licenses issued before January 1, 2007, a license may be renewed at any time prior to midnight on December 31 of the year in which it was issued. If…
- § 18824 (a) Except as provided in Sections 18646 and 18832, every person who conducts a contest or wrestling exhibition shall, within 72 hours after the determination…
- § 18825 An inspector or other representative of the commission duly authorized by the executive officer shall be admitted to the box office, and is authorized to…
- § 18826 Whenever any promoter fails to make a report of any contest or wrestling exhibition within the period prescribed by this chapter, or whenever such report is…
- § 18827 If a promoter fails to pay any tax ascertained to be due under this chapter, in addition to the costs of the examination under Section 18826, if any, within 30…
- § 18828 (a) The commission may enter into a contract to sanction, supervise, or provide other services for contests under this chapter for which the fees under this…
ARTICLE 13. Closed Circuit Telecast Revenue §§ 18830–18837 · 8 sections
- § 18830 As used in this article: (a) “Person” includes a promoter, club, individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, or other…
- § 18831 No person shall charge or receive an admission fee for exhibiting a simultaneous telecast of any live, current, or spontaneous contest or wrestling exhibition…
- § 18832 Every person who charges and receives a fee for exhibiting a simultaneous telecast of any live, current, or spontaneous contest or wrestling exhibition on a…
- § 18833 The commission may designate a representative to be present at, and observe the computation of the number of tickets issued or sold, and the determination of…
- § 18834 Whenever any person fails to make a report of a closed-circuit television showing of any contest or wrestling exhibition within the period prescribed by…
- § 18835 If a permitholder fails to pay any tax ascertained to be due under this chapter, in addition to the costs of the examination under Section 18834, if any,…
- § 18836 In case of default in the payment of any tax due under this chapter, the commission may refuse to issue a permit to any person so defaulting regardless of…
- § 18837 This article does not apply to a cable television’s system franchised under Section 53066 of the Government Code.
ARTICLE 14. Administrative Enforcement §§ 18840–18860 · 21 sections
- § 18840 Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, if in the judgment of the commission the financial responsibility, experience, character and general fitness…
- § 18841 Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, licenses issued under this chapter may be revoked, suspended, or placed on probation under terms and…
- § 18842 The commission, the executive officer and other employees duly authorized by the executive officer, shall have the power to suspend temporarily, any license…
- § 18843 (a) In addition to its authority under other provisions of this chapter to take action against a licensee, the commission, its executive officer, or his or her…
- § 18844 If a licensee fails to pay any fine assessed under this chapter within 30 days after receipt of notice by the executive officer, after time for appeal has…
- § 18845 (a) The commission, its executive officer, or any other employee duly authorized by the executive officer may issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses,…
- § 18846 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commission, its executive officer, or his or her duly authorized representative may issue subpoenas for the…
- § 18847 The disobedience of a subpoena issued under Section 18846 shall be attended by the same consequences and subject to the same penalties as if such disobedience…
- § 18848 The license of any promoter or matchmaker found guilty of managing a boxer or martial arts fighter, either directly or indirectly, without written approval…
- § 18849 No promoter, nor any person having a proprietary interest in the promoter, shall have, either directly or indirectly, any proprietary interest in a boxer or…
- § 18850 (a) Any boxer or martial arts fighter who participates in a contest or match while under suspension by the commission, or any other recognized commission,…
- § 18851 A manager of a boxer or martial arts fighter shall maintain an accurate annual record showing all of the following with respect to each contest in which the…
- § 18852 No fighter shall be paid before a contest, except that a promoter may, with the written approval of the commission, advance to the fighter before the contest,…
- § 18853 No fighter, nor his or her manager, shall be paid for the services of the fighter except in the presence of an authorized commission representative. The…
- § 18854 Any official who fails to enforce the provisions of this act or the commission’s rules and regulations shall be subject to disciplinary action.
- § 18855 The commission shall recognize and enforce contracts between boxers or martial arts fighters and managers and between boxers or martial arts fighters and…
- § 18856 (a) The commission, the executive officer, or authorized representative shall have power to order a promoter to withhold any purse, any part thereof, any…
- § 18857 The commission, the executive officer, or authorized representative shall have the power to order a promoter to withhold 10 percent of the total purse payable…
- § 18858 Any licensee who directly or indirectly holds, participates in, aids, or abets any sham or fake contest or match shall be subject to disciplinary action. This…
- § 18859 (a) The commission shall have the authority to obtain and review criminal history information to determine whether an applicant or licensee has been convicted…
- § 18860 Nothing in this chapter shall prevent any county, city, or city and county from prohibiting the holding or participating in any contest, match, or exhibition.
ARTICLE 15. Crimes and Penalties §§ 18870–18878 · 5 sections
- § 18870 Any person or promoter to whom this chapter applies who directly or indirectly holds, aids or abets, or attempts to hold, aid or abet the holding of, any…
- § 18871 Any contestant who continues to participate in a professional or amateur contest or match after an order to stop the contest is given by an official, or…
- § 18872 Any promoter who directly or indirectly destroys, or aids and abets in the destruction of, any ticket or ticket stub to a contest, match, or exhibition within…
- § 18873 Any person who throws any object at the ring during a contest, match, or exhibition is guilty of a misdemeanor.
- § 18878 Any person who otherwise violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor.
ARTICLE 16. Boxer Benefits §§ 18880–18887 · 5 sections
- § 18880 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) That professional athletes licensed under this chapter, as a group, for many reasons, do not…
- § 18881 (a) The commission shall, consistent with the purposes of this article, establish a pension plan for professional boxers who engage in boxing contests in this…
- § 18882 (a) At the time of payment of the fee required by Section 18824, a promoter shall pay to the commission all amounts scheduled for contribution to the pension…
- § 18884 (a) A promoter may, but is not required to, add to the price of each ticket sold for a professional boxing contest, an amount specifically designated on the…
- § 18887 In addition to any other form in which retirement benefits may be distributed under the pension plan, the commission may, in its discretion, award to a covered…
ARTICLE 17. Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund §§ 18888–18888.12 · 13 sections
- § 18888 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Many Californians find a need, purpose, and great benefit in participating in combat sports. (b)…
- § 18888.1 For purposes of this article: (a) “Beneficiary” means a person entitled under this article to receive benefits after the death of a participating martial…
- § 18888.2 (a) The commission shall, consistent with the purposes of this article, establish the Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund for martial artists who engage…
- § 18888.3 (a) At the time of payment of the fee required by Section 18824, a promoter shall pay to the commission all amounts scheduled for contribution to the MMA Fund.…
- § 18888.4 (a) A promoter may, but is not required to, add to the price of each ticket sold for a professional mixed martial arts contest an amount specifically…
- § 18888.5 (a) After the participating martial artist has vested in the MMA Fund, the participating martial artist shall not be entitled to distribution of the funds held…
- § 18888.6 (a) At the time of initial licensure pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 18640), the commission shall notify the licensee of the licensee’s…
- § 18888.7 (a) (1) The commission may, in its discretion, hold a hearing, or assign the matter to an administrative law judge for a hearing, for the purpose of…
- § 18888.8 A claim by a participating martial artist against the commission arising from the administration of the MMA Fund shall be brought in the County of Sacramento…
- § 18888.9 The commission may adopt regulations to implement, interpret, or make specific this article.
- § 18888.10 (a) The administration of the MMA Fund shall be contingent upon the availability of funds collected pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section…
- § 18888.11 This article shall not be construed to create a liability on the General Fund, and the General Fund shall not be used to offset or fund any liabilities…
- § 18888.12 Moneys collected pursuant to this article shall not be used to fund boxer benefits under Article 16 (commencing with Section 18880).