A. 
There are imposed upon the businesses, trades, professions, callings and occupations specified in this title license taxes in the amounts hereinafter prescribed. It shall be unlawful for any person to transact and carry on any business, trade, profession, calling or occupation in the city without first having procured a license from the city so to do or without complying with any and all applicable provisions of this chapter.
B. 
This section shall not be construed to require any person to obtain a license prior to doing business within the city if such requirement conflicts with applicable statutes of the United States or of the state.
C. 
Persons not required to obtain a license prior to doing business within the city because of conflict with applicable statutes of the United States or of the state shall not be liable for payment of the tax imposed by this title.
(Prior code § 6210)
Every person required to have a license under the provisions of this title shall make application for the same to the license collector of the city, and upon the payment of the prescribed license tax the license collector shall issue to such person a license which shall contain:
A. 
The name of the persons to whom the license is issued:
B. 
The business licensed:
C. 
The place where such business is to be transacted and carried on;
D. 
The date of the expiration of such license; and
E. 
Such other information as may be necessary for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter
(Prior code § 6220)
Every person shall make an application in writing for a business license on the form furnished by the city. In making an application for the first license to be issued under this chapter or for a newly established business, if the amount of the license is based upon the average number of employees or upon the gross receipts of his or her business, the applicant shall estimate the average number of employees to be employed in the business or the gross receipts of his or her business as the case may be, for the period to be covered by the license to be issued; such estimate, if approved by the license collector, shall be used in determining the amount of the license to be paid by the applicant.
(Prior code § 6222)
All new businesses as well as existing business shall comply with all applicable state laws and county ordinances, as well as city ordinances, regulating the type of business for which persons are engaged. Proof of such compliance may be required at any time.
(Ord. 795 § 2, 1989)
An application for the issuance of a license for which a fee is to be paid is to be referred to the license collector, who shall have power in the first instance to determine the merits of such application and to approve or reject the same.
(Prior code § 6226)
All license fees provided under this chapter shall be due and payable prior to the time business operations commence within the city and renewals shall be due and payable on January 1st of each year and delinquent thirty-one days thereafter, except as specifically provided in this title.
(Prior code § 6215)
Where a license for revenue purposes has been issued to any business by the city and the tax paid therefor under the provisions of any ordinance heretofore enacted and the term of such license has not expired, then the license tax prescribed for the business by this title shall not be payable until the expiration of the term of such unexpired license.
(Prior code § 6241)
The finance officer shall be the license collector and it shall be the duty of the license collector to regularly and promptly require the licensing of all business regulated in this title and to cause the collection of the fees therefor and the prosecution of all persons violating any of the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 6201)
When any business shall be commenced more than three months after the beginning of the license year, applicant shall pay three-fourths of the annual license fee as provided in this chapter. If commenced more than six months afterward, the applicant shall pay one-half of the fee provided, and if commenced more than nine months afterward, the one-fourth of such fee.
(Prior code § 6221)
The payment of a license fee required in this chapter and its acceptance by the city and the issuance of a license to any person, shall not entitle the holder thereof to conduct any business in or on any building or premises designated in such license in the event that such business is in violation of any zoning ordinance or any other law, nor to conduct any business for which a permit is required as a prerequisite to the conducting of such business nor to conduct any illegal or unlawful business.
(Prior code § 6217)
Except as specifically provided elsewhere in this title, a separate license must be obtained for each branch establishment or location of the business transacted and carried on and for each separate type of business at the same location, and each license shall authorize the licensee to transact and carry on only the business licensed thereby at the location or in the manner designated in such license; provided, that ware-houses and distributing plants used in connection with and incidental to a business licensed under the provisions of this title shall not be deemed to be separate places of business or branch establishments.
(Prior code § 6218)
A duplicate license may be issued by the license collector to replace any license previously issued under this chapter which has been lost or destroyed upon the licensee filing a statement of such fact, and at the time of filing such statement paying to the license collector a duplicate license fee of ten dollars.
(Prior code § 6237)
All licenses must be kept and posted in the following manner:
A. 
Any licensee transacting and carrying on business at a fixed place of business in the city shall keep the license posted in a conspicuous place upon the premises where such business is carried on.
B. 
Any licensee transacting and carrying on business but not operating at a fixed place of business in the city shall keep the license upon his or her person at all times while transacting and carrying on such business.
(Prior code § 6236)
A. 
Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed or construed to apply to any person transacting and carrying on any business exempt by virtue of the Constitution or applicable statutes of the United States or of the state from the payment of such taxes as are prescribed in this title.
B. 
None of the license taxes provided for by this title shall be so applied as to occasion an undue burden upon interstate commerce. In any case where a license tax is believed by a licensee or applicant for license to place any undue burden upon such commerce, he may apply to the license collector for an adjustment of the tax so that it shall not be discriminatory or unreasonable as to such commerce. Such application may be made before, at, or within six months after payment of the prescribed license tax. The applicant shall, by affidavit and supporting testimony, show his or her method of business and the gross volume or estimated gross volume of business and such other information as the license collector may deem necessary in order to determine the extent, if any, of such undue burden on such commerce. The license collector shall then conduct an investigation and, after having first obtained the written approval of the city attorney, shall fix as the license tax for the applicant an amount that is reasonable and nondiscriminatory, or if the license tax has already been paid, shall order a refund of the amount over and above the license tax so fixed. In fixing the license tax to be charged, the license tax to be charged, the license collector shall have the power to base the license tax upon any measure which will assure that the license tax assessed shall be uniform with that assessed on businesses of like nature, so long as the amount assessed does not exceed the license tax as prescribed by this title.
C. 
Any person claiming exemption pursuant to this chapter shall file a verified statement with the license collector stating the fact upon which exemption is claimed and, upon demand, upon such a form as is provided by the license collector.
D. 
The license collector shall, upon a proper showing contained in the verified statement, issue a license to such person claiming exemption under this section without payment to the city of the license tax required by this chapter.
E. 
The license collector, after giving notice and reasonable opportunity for hearing to a licensee, may revoke any license granted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter upon information that the licensee is not entitled to the exemption as provided in this section.
(Prior code § 6300)
Any person who does business with the city shall not, as a condition of the conduct of this business, be required to obtain a business license. This shall not be regarded as an exemption for the conduct of business with any other person in the city.
(Prior code § 6305)
All farmers and poultry raisers who sell exclusively products actually produced, raised or grown by them within the city shall be precluded from the payment of any license fee as provided in this chapter.
(Prior code § 6306; Ord. 795 § 2, 1989)
Minor persons under the age of eighteen years of age shall be exempt from the payment of a license fee for engaging in part-time activities falling within the definitions for license requirements provided in Chapter 5.04 of this code, but the minors shall be subject to all permit and registration procedures.
(Prior code § 6308)
The provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed or construed to require the payment of a license tax by any religious, charitable, educational, state, county or municipal organization, chamber of commerce, service club, veteran organization or youth character-building organization to conduct, manage, or carry on any business, occupation, active entertainment, dance, concert, exhibition or lecture, whenever the receipts therefrom are to be appropriated for the purpose and object for which such organization or association was formed and from which profit is not derived either directly or indirectly by any individual. Nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt persons included in this section from complying with pertinent and applicable regulatory provisions. Furthermore, all such organizations shall pay a license tax on any activity conducted by them as described in Section 5.12.060 as provided therein.
(Prior code § 6310; Ord. 795 § 2, 1989)
It shall be unlawful for any person engaging in interstate commerce not having an established place of business in the city to go from place to place or from house to house, peddling, soliciting or canvassing without first having procured a regulatory permit as outlined in Chapter 5.16 of this code.
(Prior code § 6315)
The city council upon finding that an applicant or person conducting a business has been convicted of a felony or whose reputation is bad and whose character has shown moral turpitude in conducting and managing a business elsewhere, or whose plan or mode of operation would constitute or has constituted a public nuisance or whose business would be detrimental to the public welfare and morals of the citizens of the city, may refuse to issue a permit to conduct a business in the city or if a license has been granted, may revoke or refuse to renew the license.
(Prior code § 6260)
Any person aggrieved by any decision of the license collector with respect to the issuance or refusal to issue such license may appeal to the council by filing a notice of appeal with the city clerk. The city council shall thereupon fix a time and place for hearing such appeal. The city clerk shall give notice to such person of the time and place of hearing by serving it personally or by depositing it in the United States post office at La Verne, California, postage prepaid, addressed to such person at his or her last known address. The city council shall have authority to determine all questions raised on such appeal. No such determination shall conflict with any substantive provision of this title.
(Prior code § 6230)
The information furnished or secured in connection with the examination of applicant's books and records shall be confidential. Any unwarranted disclosure or use of such information by any officer or employee of the city shall constitute a misdemeanor.
(Prior code § 6255)
The amount of any license tax and penalty imposed by the provisions of this title shall be deemed a debt to the city. An action may be commenced in the name of the city in any court of competent jurisdiction, for the amount of any delinquent license tax and penalties.
(Prior code § 6243)
A. 
No statements nor applications shall be conclusive as to the matters set forth therein, nor shall the filing of the same preclude the city from collecting by appropriate action such sum as is actually due and payable under this chapter. Such statement or application and each of the several items therein contained shall be subject to audit and verification by the license collector, his or her deputies, or authorized employees of the city who are authorized to examine, audit and inspect such books and records of any licensee or applicant for license, as may be necessary in their judgment to verify or ascertain the amount or license fee due.
B. 
All licensees, applicants for licenses and persons engaged in business in the city are required to permit an examination of such books and records for the purposes provided in this section.
(Prior code § 6250)
A. 
It shall be the duty of the license collector, and he is directed to enforce each and all of the provisions of this chapter, and the chief of police shall render such assistance in the enforcement of this title as may from time to time be required by the license collector or the city council.
B. 
The license collector in the exercise of the duties imposed upon him or her under this chapter, and acting through his or her deputies or duly authorized assistants, shall examine or cause to be examined all places of business in the city to ascertain whether the provisions of this chapter have been complied with.
C. 
The license collector and each and all of his or her assistants and any police officer shall have the power and authority to enter, free of charge, and at any reasonable time. any place of business required to be licensed under this chapter, and demand an exhibition of its license certificate. Any person having such license certificate theretofore issued, in his or her possession or under his or her control, who wilfully fails to exhibit the same on demand shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to the penalties provided for by the provisions of this chapter. It shall be the duty of the license collector and each of his or her assistants to cause a complaint to be filed against any and all persons found to be violating any of the provisions.
(Prior code § 6202)
The license collector and all police officers shall have and exercise the power, and it shall be their duty:
A. 
To enter free of charge, at any time, any place of business for which a license is required, and to demand the exhibition of such license for the current term from any person engaged or employed in the transaction of such business; and
B. 
To require the holder of any free license to write his or her signature for purposes of comparison with that appearing on the original application.
(Prior code § 6203)
All remedies prescribed under this chapter shall be cumulative and the use of one or more remedies by the city shall not bar the use of any other remedy for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 6261)
Neither the adoption of the ordinance codified in this chapter nor its superseding of any portion of any other ordinance of the city shall in any manner be construed to affect prosecution for violation of any other ordinance committed prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, nor be construed as a waiver of any license or any penal provision applicable to any such violation, nor be construed to affect the validity of any bond or cash deposit required by any ordinance to be posted, filed or deposited, and all rights and obligations thereunto appertaining shall continue in full force and effect.
(Prior code § 6205)
Persons required to pay a license tax for transacting and carrying on any business under this chapter shall not be relieved from the payment of any license tax for the privilege of doing such business required under any other ordinance of the city, and shall remain subject to the regulatory provisions of other ordinances.
(Prior code § 6204)
For failure to pay a license tax when due the license collector shall add a penalty of ten percent of the license tax and on the last day of each month thereafter shall add an additional five percent to a maximum of fifty percent of the license tax due.
(Prior code § 6246)
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter or knowingly or intentionally misrepresenting to any officer or employee of the city any material fact in procuring the license or permit provided for in this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for a period of not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(Prior code § 5244)