(a) No person shall produce, promote, sponsor, operate, or otherwise organize a gun show or event, as specified in subdivision (b) of Section 26805, unless that person possesses a valid certificate of eligibility from the Department of Justice.

(b) Unless the department’s records indicate that the applicant is a person prohibited from possessing firearms, a certificate of eligibility shall be issued by the Department of Justice to an applicant provided the applicant does all of the following:

(1) Certifies that the applicant is familiar with the provisions of this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 27300).

(2) Ensures that liability insurance is in effect for the duration of an event or show in an amount of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000).

(3) Provides an annual list of the gun shows or events that the applicant plans to promote, produce, sponsor, operate, or otherwise organize during the year for which the certificate of eligibility is issued, including the date, time, and location of the gun shows or events.

(c) If during that year the information required by paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) changes, or additional gun shows or events will be promoted, produced, sponsored, operated, or otherwise organized by the applicant, the producer shall notify the Department of Justice no later than 30 days prior to the gun show or event.

(d) The Department of Justice shall adopt regulations to administer the certificate of eligibility program under this section.

(e) The Department of Justice shall recover the full costs of administering the certificate of eligibility program by fees assessed applicants who apply for certificates. A licensed gun show producer shall be assessed an annual fee of eighty-five dollars ($85) by the department.

(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the certificate of eligibility program established pursuant to this section be incorporated into the certificate of eligibility program established pursuant to Section 26710 to the maximum extent practicable.

(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. (SB 1080) Effective January 1, 2011. Operative January 1, 2012, by Sec. 10 of Ch. 711.)