[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Ipswich 5-12-2015 ATM by Art. 17 (Ch. XIV, § 4,
of the 1973 Bylaws). Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this bylaw is to regulate fortunetelling and
similar business so that the Town can efficiently and thoroughly investigate
fraud and deception, and protect the public by preventing people who
have been charged with deceptive practices from having easy access
to persons who may be vulnerable to fraud or confidence games.
Fortunetelling shall mean the telling for fortunes, forecasting
of futures, or reading the past, by means of any occult, psychic power,
faculty, force, clairvoyance, cartomancy, physchometry, phrenology,
spirits, tea leaves, tarot cards, scrying, coins, sticks, dice, sand,
coffee grounds, crystal gazing or other such reading, or through mediumship,
seership, prophecy, augury, astrology, palmistry, necromancy, mindreading,
telepathy, or other craft, art, science, talisman, charm, potion,
magnetism, magnetized article or substance, or by any such similar
thing or act.
The Select Board may issue a license to a person to tell fortunes
for money under the provisions of MGL c. 140, § 185I. Any
person applying to tell fortunes for money shall file a written application
for a Fortune Teller license with the Town Clerk, on a form issued
by the Police Department, signed under the penalties of perjury, containing
the following information:
A.
The name of the applicant.
B.
Physical address of the applicant (PO Box shall not be acceptable).
C.
The applicant's height, weight, eye and hair color.
D.
The applicant's Social Security number or Federal Identification
number.
E.
The full name under which the business will be conducted.
F.
The present or proposed address where the business will be conducted.
G.
The length of time for which the right to do business is desired
(business hours).
H.
A brief description of the nature of the business and the services
to be provided.
Fees for the issuance of such license shall be in accordance
with a scheduled fee, to be established from time to time by order
of the Select Board.
