(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, any person owning, controlling, operating, renting, managing, furnishing, or otherwise providing transportation by hot air balloon for hire shall maintain in force at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) of liability insurance for personal injury, wrongful death, and property damage resulting from the operation of a balloon carrying up to 10 passengers, with additional liability coverage of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for each passenger for any balloon carrying more than 10 passengers. A notice shall be provided to every passenger that identifies both the insurer providing a policy of liability insurance to the person providing that transportation and the amount of insurance coverage provided by that policy.
(b) Any person owning, controlling, operating, renting, managing, furnishing, or otherwise providing transportation by hot air balloon for hire shall comply with any requirement of a city, county, or city and county that the person obtain a business license as a condition for operating in that city, county, or city and county. Whenever a city, county, or city and county requires a business license, any person owning, controlling, operating, renting, managing, furnishing, or otherwise providing transportation by hot air balloon for hire shall prominently display the license only within the city or county of the person’s primary place of business frequented by customers and potential customers. Whenever a city, county, or city and county requires a business license, the person shall provide to the city, county, or city and county, a currently effective certificate of insurance evidencing insurance coverage as required in subdivision (a). A new certificate of insurance shall be provided to the city, county, or city and county, at least annually or whenever there is a material change in insurance coverage. A city, county, or city and county shall give reasonable notice of this requirement with any business license renewal notification. Every business license issued by a city, county, or city and county to any person owning, controlling, operating, renting, managing, furnishing, or otherwise providing transportation by hot air balloon for hire and every currently effective certificate of insurance evidencing insurance coverage, shall be maintained as a public record. The city, county, or city and county may charge a reasonable fee for purposes of carrying out the provisions of this subdivision.
(c) Any person who violates subdivision (a) by failing to maintain insurance in force as required by subdivision (a) is guilty of a misdemeanor. Any person who violates subdivision (b) by failing to obtain and maintain a current valid city, county, or city and county business license issued by the local government jurisdiction where the person’s primary place of business is located, in accordance with subdivision (b), is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 108, Sec. 5. (AB 1524) Effective January 1, 2013.)