A 60-second checklist that builds your compliance record.
Every shift, before the doors open, someone needs to confirm that your venue is operating in compliance. This isn't about being paranoid — it's about building a documented pattern of responsible operation.
The nightly checklist
1. Security headcount
Count your security personnel. The 2026 amendment requires minimum 1 security person per 150 occupants starting at 7 PM (moved up from the previous 10 PM requirement). If your capacity is 450, you need at least 3 security staff on the floor by 7 PM.
2. Patron search procedures
Confirm that your patron screening method — whatever your safety plan specifies — is active at all entry points. The ordinance doesn't mandate a specific method (wanding, pat-downs, bag checks); it requires you to follow what your plan says.
3. Door coverage
Verify that every entry and exit point has staff coverage — main entrance, side doors, patio access, and emergency exits.
4. Camera systems
Confirm all cameras are operational, recording, and storing footage. The 2026 amendment requires coverage of all interior areas (not just entries/exits), exterior, and parking. Cameras must capture facial-quality images in both low light and daylight conditions. Footage stored minimum 30 days.
5. Capacity tracking
Verify your capacity tracking system is active — clicker, digital counter, or wristband system. Know your number.
6. Manager on premises
Section 12-10-51 requires a licensee, manager, or person in charge on premises during business hours, with their name posted in letters not less than 1 inch. Confirm who's on duty tonight.
Why a checklist matters
It catches problems before they become violations — a dead camera, a short-staffed door. And it creates a compliance record. Months of completed checklists showing consistent operations is powerful documentation when anyone asks how your venue runs.