Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 19525
(b) Any sale, purchase, or transfer of an equine shall be both of the following:
(e) It is unlawful for a person acting as an agent for either a purchaser or a seller or acting as a dual agent in a transaction involving the sale, purchase, or transfer of an equine to receive in excess of five hundred dollars ($500) worth of compensation, fees, gratuities, or other items of value, related directly or indirectly to that transaction, from an individual or entity, including any consigner involved in the transaction, other than the agent’s principal, unless both of the following occur:
(h) No contract or agreement for payment of a commission, fee, gratuity, or any other form of compensation in connection with any sale, purchase, or transfer of an equine shall be enforceable by way of an action or defense unless both of the following occur:
(j) Subdivisions (g) and (h) shall not apply to the acts or omissions of an entity or individual engaged in conducting a public auction of an equine, or the entity or individual’s employees or agents, if both of the following conditions apply: