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Questions clubs ask
Real questions, verified answers, dated. Can't find yours? Ask us.
Can I set up my Google Business Profile at the park where we practice?
Maybe — and Google's own rules don't settle it. Google excludes profiles for "an ongoing service, class, or meeting at a location that you don't own or have the authority to represent," and never says whether a recurring city field-use permit counts as that authority. The safe route until Google clarifies: set the profile up from your club's administrative address, or as a service-area business covering the communities you serve, rather than claiming the park as your verified address.
SourcesGoogle — business eligibility and ownership guidelines
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Is a DBA the same thing as a business license?
No. A DBA (fictitious business name) is a county registration that lets you operate under a name other than your own legal name — it creates no company and no liability protection. A business license is issued by your city (or the County, in unincorporated areas) and permits you to do business there. Most clubs need both, from two different offices.
SourcesSanta Clara County Clerk-Recorder — fictitious business namesAlameda County Clerk-Recorder — fictitious business namesSan Francisco County Clerk — fictitious business namesSan Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections — fictitious business namesContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder — fictitious business names
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What does an LLC actually cost per year in California?
Three numbers. Forming it: $70 (Form LLC-1 with the Secretary of State). Keeping it: a $20 Statement of Information within 90 days and every two years after. And the one people miss: California's $800 annual LLC tax, owed every year the LLC exists — whether or not it made a dollar — until you formally cancel it. The Franchise Tax Board states this plainly on its own page.
SourcesFranchise Tax Board — LLC annual taxCA Secretary of State — forms and fees
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Which of my volunteers need a Live Scan background check?
California's AB 506 sets the line precisely: any "regular volunteer" — someone 18 or older with direct contact with or supervision of children for more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year — plus all administrators and employees. A parent who helps at one tournament is below the line; your every-Sunday assistant coach is over it.
SourcesAB 506 — statute textCA DOJ — Live Scan
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My coaches completed SafeSport training. Does that satisfy California's AB 506 training requirement?
No — they're different laws with different training. AB 506's requirement is satisfied by the free online mandated reporter training from the California Department of Social Services. SafeSport is the federal Olympic-movement regime, and completing one does not check the other's box. A club affiliated with a national governing body may need both.
SourcesCDSS — mandated reporter trainingU.S. Center for SafeSport — FAQ
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Can I use a photo of my team in a flyer without asking every parent?
It depends on what the photo shows. California Civil Code §3344 requires a parent or guardian's prior consent to use a minor's likeness for advertising — but treats people shown only as members of a "definable group" (the statute's own examples include a baseball team) differently from a child singled out as an individual. A wide team shot sits on one side of that line; a close-up of one identifiable child on your registration flyer sits on the other and needs consent. The safest practice: collect a media consent form at registration that covers promotional use explicitly.
SourcesCalifornia Civil Code § 3344
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My paid coach wants to volunteer extra hours on weekends. Is that allowed?
Not for the same kind of work you pay them for. Employment-law commentary on California practice is consistent: an employee cannot "volunteer" unpaid hours doing their normal job duties — those hours are work, and they're owed wages. This is a well-known trap for small nonprofits; if it comes up, an hour with an employment lawyer is cheap compared to the alternative.
SourcesCA DIR — Division of Labor Standards Enforcement
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Does my 16-year-old assistant coach need a work permit?
Yes, if they haven't finished high school. California requires a Permit to Employ and Work for working minors. The process runs through the minor's school district: the minor, a parent or guardian, and your club complete the Statement of Intent (Form B1-1); the district reviews it and issues the actual permit (Form B1-4). Only district-issued permits are valid.
SourcesCA Department of Education — work permits for students
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Will my insurer actually ask for proof of background checks?
They are entitled to, and increasingly they do. California's AB 506 expressly permits insurers to request proof of compliance with the state's background-check and policy requirements before writing liability coverage for a youth organization. And at least one major youth-sports program states on its own pages that its abuse coverage is void unless the organization has implemented background checks and written policies. Walk into your renewal with the folder ready.
SourcesAB 506 — statute textSadler — abuse coverage options
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A player took a hit to the head but says she feels fine. Can she go back in today?
No. California's concussion standard for youth sports — written for schools, and the right standard for any club — is three steps: a player suspected of a concussion comes out immediately and stays out for the rest of the day; does not return until evaluated by a licensed health care provider; and if diagnosed, completes a graduated return of at least seven days under supervision. There is no same-day return with a suspected concussion. "She feels fine" is not an evaluation.
SourcesCalifornia Education Code § 49475CDC HEADS UP
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I already have a business license in San Jose. Do I need another one in Walnut Creek?
Yes. Walnut Creek's own portal states you need a license to conduct business activity in the city even if your business is located outside the city limits or you hold a license from another city. California city licensing has no reciprocity — each city where you actually operate is its own application.
SourcesWalnut Creek — business license
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We just practice at the same park every week. Do we really need a permit?
In several Bay Area cities, yes. Cupertino's written Athletic Field Use Policy and Concord's sports facility rules both require a permit for any repeated, organized use of a city field — the trigger is the pattern, not exclusivity or tournaments. Unreserved fields stay open for casual, unstructured play, but a weekly practice with a roster is organized use.
SourcesCupertino — athletic field use policyConcord — sports facility permits
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Can my club get a field in San Francisco?
Probably not by applying directly. San Francisco Recreation and Park gives priority to returning programs in good standing and states it will consider new organizations only for a sport no existing program covers, absent excess capacity. Youth practice fields are generally allocated through established San Francisco leagues rather than to clubs directly. The realistic path is affiliating with a league already operating there.
SourcesSan Francisco Recreation & Park — permits and reservations
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The Federation shares sourced information and official sources. It does not give legal advice.