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Pen. Code, § 318.5 · Chapter 8. Indecent Exposure, Obscene Exhibitions, and Bawdy and Other Disorderly Houses

Pen. Code, § 318.5

Verbatim from the official edition

Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)

(a) Nothing in this code shall invalidate an ordinance of, or be construed to prohibit the adoption of an ordinance by, a county or city, if that ordinance directly regulates the exposure of the genitals or buttocks of any person, or the breasts of any female person, who acts as a waiter, waitress, or entertainer, whether or not the owner of the establishment in which the activity is performed employs or pays any compensation to that person to perform the activity, in an adult or sexually oriented business. For purposes of this section, an “adult or sexually oriented business” includes any establishment that regularly features live performances which are distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on the exposure of the genitals or buttocks of any person, or the breasts of any female person, or specified sexual activities that involve the exposure of the genitals or buttocks of any person, or the breasts of any female person.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to apply to any adult or sexually oriented business, as defined herein, that has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be, or by action of a local body such as issuance of an adult entertainment establishment license or permit allowing the business to operate on or before July 1, 1998, as, a theater, concert hall, or similar establishment primarily devoted to theatrical performances for purposes of this section.

This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Quimby-Walsh Act.”

Notes and commentary — not statutory text

History

Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 294, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1999.

Source of truth

Edition
As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
Official file
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=318.5.
Text hash
sha256 360245a6462fb86e566e104a7470f976eaf3420438916aff4edfba578b3c64de
Composed by
compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section

Cited by 3 provisions

Provisions in this library whose text cites Pen. Code, § 318.5. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.

Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.