L.A. County Approves Adult Film Permit System

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new permit and fee system for making adult films. The permits and fees are the result of Measure B, a ballot initiative approved by county voters in 2012 requiring adult film performers to use condoms as a means to stop the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The two-year permit would cost $1,671 with a renewal amount of $982. The fee covers the cost of services provided by Public Health Investigation staff, operating expenses and overhead. Adult film production companies are also required to use condoms; have employees complete a county-approved training program concerning bloodborne pathogens; and display the permit while filming. The Free Speech Coalition, the adult industry trade group in Canoga Park, was opposed to the new permit system because the fees were too high and it was voted on without input from adult performers. “Measure B was an attack on an already stigmatized workforce, using bad data and employing outmoded views of the adult industry,” a statement at the coalition’s website said. “The Board of Supervisors has the ability to amend and correct this wrong.”