(a) To qualify for a new license as a referee, an applicant must:      
        (1) be at least 21 years of age;       
        (2) provide information sufficient for the department to verify that the applicant has not been convicted of an offense that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of a referee;       
        (3) demonstrate the ability to perform the functions of a referee by:                  (A) having completed a training program provided by, or approved by the executive director, that consists of classroom training and an internship program; or,                   (B) meeting one or more of the following:                      (i) having at least three years active experience as a referee in the combative sport in which he seeks endorsement by having officiated in at least ten combative sporting events per year;                       (ii) being currently licensed and in good standing as a referee in a state that the executive director has determined has licensing requirements that are equivalent to Texas' requirements; or                       (iii) having formerly held a Texas referee's license that lapsed in good standing.           
      (b) These requirements may be waived by the executive director for any applicant who is licensed and in good standing as a referee with any department-approved sanctioning body such as the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation, or World Boxing Organization.     
      (c) Referee licenses will be endorsed showing each class of bouts in which they may officiate with one or more of the following legends:      
        (1) B (Boxing); and       
        (2) M (Mixed martial arts and Kickboxing.)       
      (d) An endorsement may be obtained by completion of classroom training and an internship program provided or approved by the executive director for that class of endorsement.     
      (e) Persons renewing licenses, or obtaining new licenses on the basis of holding a license from another state or formerly having held a Texas license, may obtain one or more endorsements by providing proof acceptable to the executive director of previous experience refereeing contests in the class of endorsement(s) sought.     
      (f) Referees must have an endorsement for a class in order to referee events in that class.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §61.21 adopted to be effective February 1, 2006, 31 TexReg 481; amended to be effective December 1, 2007, 32 TexReg 8470; amended to be effective October 15, 2010, 35 TexReg 9081