On October 6, 2021, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance expanding vaccination verification requirements for certain indoor businesses that present a high risk for COVID-19 transmission, such as restaurants and fitness and entertainment centers. Covered businesses will be required to verify patrons’ vaccination status starting November 4, 2021, and to display notices informing patrons of these impending requirements by October 21, 2021.

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This mandate comes in the wake of Los Angeles County’s September 17 order, which took effect October 7 and requires bars, breweries, wineries, distilleries, nightclubs, and lounges to verify the COVID-19 vaccination status of both patrons and employees for indoor service.

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Click here to access Los Angeles County’s Business Toolkit, which contains guidelines for implementing vaccination verification requirements. Learn more about LA City’s expanded vaccination verification requirements below.

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Covered Businesses

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A wider range of indoor facilities are covered by LA City’s new order, including:

• Establishments where food or beverages are served
  • Such as: restaurants, bars, fast food establishments, coffee shops, tasting rooms, cafeterias, food courts, breweries, wineries, distilleries, banquet halls, and hotel ballrooms
• Gyms and fitness venues
  • Such as: gyms, recreation facilities, fitness centers, yoga, pilates, cycling, barre, and dance studios, hotel gyms, boxing and kickboxing gyms, fitness boot camps, and other facilities used for conducting indoor group fitness classes
• Entertainment and recreation venues
  • Such as: movie theaters, music and concert venues, live performance venues, adult entertainment venues, commercial event and party venues, sports arenas, convention centers, exhibition halls, museums, malls, shopping centers, performing arts theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, card rooms, family entertainment centers, play areas, pool and billiard halls, and other recreational game centers
• Personal care establishments
  • Including: spas, nail salons, hair salons, barbershops, tanning salons, estheticians, skin care and cosmetology services, body art professionals, piercing shops, and massage therapy, except as medically required

This order only applies to businesses with indoor facilities; patrons are not required by this order to verify their vaccination status for outdoor service.

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Provisions

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Beginning November 4, 2021, covered businesses must require eligible patrons to provide proof of full vaccination upon entering the indoor portion of their facility. Businesses must also cross-check patrons’ proof of vaccination against their photo identification if they appear to be 18 years of age or older.

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View LA County’s Guidance for Verifying Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination here.

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View LA County’s Guidance for Verifying Proof of a Negative COVID-19 Test here.

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Some patrons may be exempt from the above vaccination verification requirements for qualifying religious and medical reasons. If a business determines that a patron has met the requirements for an exemption, or if a patron otherwise does not provide proof of vaccination, the patron may use the outdoor portion of the facility. If there is no outdoor portion, exempted patrons may enter the indoor portion of the facility by providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test and photo identification. For more information on exemptions, click here and navigate to page 6 of the order.

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The order also extends vaccination verification requirements to city facilities and large outdoor events with between 5,000 and 9,999 attendees. Large indoor events are subject to vaccination verification requirements under a Los Angeles County order.

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Resources for California Business Owners

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Click here to access the full draft text of LA City’s COVID-19 vaccination verification order.

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Learn more about LA County’s vaccination verification requirements here.

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Click here to access Los Angeles County’s Business Toolkit for Complying with Health Officer orders.

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View LA County’s Guidance for Verifying Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination here.

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View LA County’s Guidance for Verifying Proof of a Negative COVID-19 Test here.

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If you have questions regarding the application of any of the updated COVID-19 prevention recommendations and mandates to your business, please contact one of the following attorneys in The Maloney Firm’s Employment Law Department: Patrick Maloney, Lisa Von Eschen, Samantha Botros, or Nicholas Grether.

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