§ 2208 Circus Performance Definition

Fish and Game Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law defines what counts as a circus: a live show with acts like acrobats, clowns, or jugglers that is the main attraction, but it specifically leaves out rodeos.

Key Takeaways

•A circus is a live show where variety acts are the main attraction.
•Rodeos are excluded from this definition.
•The definition applies unless another law says otherwise.

Example

A city invites a traveling show that features acrobats, clowns, and jugglers as the main act.

Because the show is a live performance with those kinds of acts as the primary attraction, it is considered a circus under this law. If the same event were a bull‑riding rodeo, it would not be called a circus under this definition.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 2208 Circus Performance Definition

(a) For purposes of this article, except as provided in subdivision (b), the term “circus” means a performance before a live audience in which entertainment consisting of a variety of acts, such as acrobats, aerialists, clowns, jugglers, or stunts, is the primary attraction or principal business. (b) The term “circus” does not include a rodeo, as defined in Section 596.7 of the Penal Code. (Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 768, Sec. 1. (SB 313) Effective January 1, 2020.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

circus rodeo live audience primary attraction principal business

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Fish and Game Code. Section 2208.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

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Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References