Los Angeles Municipal Code § 103.112 Billiard Rooms, Poolrooms, Bowling Alleys

(Amended by Ord. No. 157,104, Eff. 11/27/82.)

(a) Definitions.

1. “BILLIARDS” means any of the several games played on a table, the surface of which is surrounded by an elastic ledge or cushions within which balls are impelled by cues, and shall include all forms of a

game known as “pool”.

2. “BILLIARD ROOM” or “POOLROOM” means any place where the game of billiards is permitted to be played on one or more tables designed for that purpose, referred to herein as “billiard tables’ or

“pool tables”.

3. “BOWLING ALLEY” means a place, usually indoors, where a game is conducted in which large balls made of composition rubber, plastic or other material are rolled along an alley or lane toward pins,

arranged symmetrically.

(b) Permit Required. No person shall operate or maintain a billiard room, poolroom or bowling alley open to the public, whether or not operated for a profit, and to which the public is admitted either with or without charge, without a written permit from the Board.

(c) Notice to Public. Each applicant for a permit shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the community wherein the activity is to be conducted, a notice of intent to conduct or maintain a billiard room, poolroom or bowling alley as defined herein. The notice shall be published twice at intervals of not less than three days within a ten-day period following the date of the filing of the application.

In addition, the Board shall cause a suitable public notice to be posted at the location where the activity is to be conducted within five days after the date of the filing of the application for the required permit.

Both the published and posted notices shall conform to the rules and regulations adopted by the Board and shall be designed to inform the public as to the nature of the business to be engaged in, including the location, and the name or names of the applicant or applicants. Said notices shall also state that persons who object to the proposed activity must present their objections to the Board in writing on or before a final date set forth in the notice, and that objections submitted subsequent to that date shall not be considered. Such final date shall be the date ten days following the first date of publication of the notice, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The Board shall review the application for the permit, and, in the event objections are submitted within said time limit, shall likewise consider the objections and may withhold issuance of the permit applied for pending a public hearing and further determination thereon. In the event the Board conducts a public hearing with respect to the objections received, the Board shall provide at least a ten-day notice to the applicant and to the objecting parties, and shall permit these and every other interested party to be heard thereat.

All expenses and costs involved in publishing and posting any notices referred to herein shall be borne by the applicant.

The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the issuance of a permit to operate or maintain a billiard room or poolroom containing no more than three billiard or pool tables, where the operation and maintenance thereof is not the principal business activity of the premises where such table or tables are located.

(d) Minors. No person under the age of eighteen (18) years shall enter or remain in, nor shall any person having charge or control of any billiard room or poolroom permit any person under the age of eighteen (18) to enter or remain in, any billiard room or poolroom with two or more pool tables or billiard tables.

EXCEPTION:

Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, persons under the age of eighteen (18) years shall be permitted to enter and remain in family billiard rooms under the provisions of Section 103.112.1 of this Code.

(Added by Ord. No. 139,204, Eff. 10/23/69.)

(a) Definitions.

1. “FAMILY BILLIARD ROOM” means any billiard room wherein minors are permitted to play billiards under the provisions of this section.

(b) Permit Required. No person shall conduct, operate or manage a family billiard room without a written permit from the Board.

(c) Investigation. Upon the filing of an application for a permit, the Board shall cause to be made such investigation as it deems necessary.

(d) Public Hearings. The Board shall hold a public hearing prior to taking action on an application for a permit pursuant to this section. The applicant shall cause to be published a notice of public hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the district where the business is to be located. Said notice shall be published two times, at intervals of not less than five days, within the 21-day period following the filing of an application. Furthermore the Board may give notice by mail to all property owners within three hundred feet of the proposed business. The Board shall cause a suitable public notice to be posted at the location where the business is to be conducted. The applicant shall bear all expenses involved in mailing, printing, publishing and posting such notice. Such public notice shall conform to the rules and regulations adopted by the Board and shall be designed to inform the public as to the nature of the business to be engaged in, its location, the names of the applicant or applicants, the time of the public hearing and the right of persons objecting to be heard. Any interested person may file written protests or objections, or appear at the hearing. The Board shall give consideration to all such protests in reaching a decision on such application.

If the Board shall find that the operation of the family billiard room for which the permit is requested at the location set forth in the application will not violate any law of the State of California or any ordinance of the City of Los Angeles or constitute a menace to the health, peace, or safety of the community, and the applicant has not had a permit revoked by the Board within one year prior to the application, then the Board shall issue a permit to the applicant.

(e) Permits – Conditions. Permits to operate family billiard rooms shall be issued upon and subject to the following conditions:

1. Physical Environment:

   (i) Family billiard rooms shall be located at street level or that level which most approximates street level.

   (ii) A clear and unobstructed view of the entire interior of the family billiard room shall be visible from the entrance to such room.

   (iii) No partitions forming rooms, stalls or other enclosures within which the public may congregate shall be permitted within the family billiard room. However, this shall not prohibit the maintenance of

washrooms, toilet rooms or storage closets.

(iv) The family billiard room shall be maintained in a separate room from other business activities of the owner or operator of such room unless the owner or operator has obtained the consent of the Board to do otherwise.

(v) No alcoholic beverages shall be sold, consumed or available in family billiard rooms.

2. Conduct:

   (i) Behavior within family billiard rooms shall conform to the rules and regulations of the Board in addition to the provisions of this section and of all other applicable laws. Sufficient adult supervision

   shall be provided by management to assure compliance with such rules, regulations and laws.

   The owners, managers and operators, and each of them, of a family billiard room shall be strictly responsible for the enforcement of all rules and regulations, and shall not permit any person violating any rule, regulation or other applicable law to remain in such family billiard room.

   (ii) No person shall bring any form of alcoholic liquor into a family billiard room. No person in an intoxicated condition shall enter or remain in a family billiard room. No person shall conduct themself

   in a boisterous or disorderly manner in a family billiard room.

   (iii) No person having charge or control of any family billiard room shall permit any person to enter or remain therein who has any form of alcoholic liquor in their possession, or permit any intoxicated,

   boisterous or disorderly person to enter, be or remain in any family billiard room.

(f) Age Limits. Persons under the age of 18 years may enter and remain in family billiard rooms and play billiards therein with the following limitations:

1. No person having charge or control of a family billiard room shall allow a person under the age of 18 years to enter or remain in a family billiard room unaccompanied by their parent or guardian.

2. No person under the age of 18 years shall enter or remain in a family billiard room unless accompanied by their parent or guardian.

EXCEPTION:

A person under the age of 18 years may be present in a family billiard room and engage in the game of billiards, unaccompanied by a parent or guardian, if the parent of guardian of such person has signed and filed with the owner, manager or operator of the family billiard room a consent form of a type approved by the Board. Such form must be signed by the parent or guardian in the presence of the owner, manager or operator.

3. No person having charge or control of any family billiard room shall allow a person under the age of 18 years to enter and remain therein after the receipt of a notice signed by the parent or guardian of such

minor person in which notice the parent or guardian has requested that said minor be prevented from entering or remaining in any such premises.

4. No person less than 18 years of age shall enter or remain in a family billiard room between the hours of 12:01 and 9:00 A.M. Nor shall any person having charge or control of a family billiard room permit a person less than 18 years of age to enter or remain in such family billiard room between the hours of 12:01 and 9:00 A.M.