From FanimeCon; edited by Atlas curators.
Con rules
FanimeCon: costume, prop and weapon rules
Last checked against the con's own rules on 2026-10-21.
A Cosplay Atlas entry summarising FanimeCon's official costume, prop, and weapon rules for attendees planning their builds.
FanimeCon requires all props to be peace-bonded by Attendee Relations staff, and a prop can only be peace-bonded if it matches the costume you are currently wearing. Staff may inspect props and costumes at any time, and a peace-bond can be revoked for misuse, tampering, or complaints following which the prop must leave the property. Props bought at the convention follow the same rule: they can be peace-bonded only if they suit what you are wearing that day. On the weapons side, no prop designed mainly as a weapon — including swords, staves, and clubs — may be made of metal, no matter how dull the edges are. Metal decoration on a prop is judged case by case. Firearms, airsoft guns, replica guns, and anything built using their components are completely banned. If your costume uses a gun-style prop, it must look clearly like a prop from fifty feet away, have an orange tip covering at least two inches at the front, and show two additional easily visible orange bands. Functional bows and arrows, metal or wood bats, metal pipes, and long metal chains are not permitted. Lightsabers are allowed, but you must handle them carefully, and using any prop to shoot an object will result in your peace-bond being removed. For makeup and body coverings, costumes must not constitute indecent exposure under California or San Jose law. Private areas must be covered in opaque material that will not slip or gap. Liquid latex and similar full-coverage body coatings are assessed case by case by staff. Masks are not addressed under this section of the policy. A few other rules apply to all costumes: shoes are required even if your character goes barefoot, every costume must fit through a standard doorway, and anything that limits your visibility or movement — or that includes large wings — requires you to bring a handler. Costumes must not produce odour, smoke, or fog. Realistic replicas of current US law-enforcement or military uniforms and official flags worn as costumes are also banned. Because convention rules change from year to year, the official FanimeCon rules page is the only authority, and you should check it before attending.
Drafted with AI and reviewed by Atlas curators.