Unless the provisions of this Chapter provide otherwise, all the provisions of Chapter 1 of this Part which pertain to the licensing and regulation of businesses are applicable to the license referred to in this Chapter.
(Added by Ord. No. 3390, effective 8-20-09; amended by Ord. No. 3490, effective 2-25-16. Formerly 6-15-1010)
The purpose of this Chapter is to protect the health, welfare, and safety of the public at large and patrons of fortunetelling establishments by ensuring that the services provided by those establishments are, to the greatest extent possible, free from fraud, corruption, vice, trickery, and other criminal influences.
(Added by Ord. No. 3390, effective 8-20-09; amended by Ord. No. 3490, effective 2-25-16. Formerly 6-15-1000)
The following words and phrases, as used in this Chapter, shall have the following meanings:
(a) 
"For pay"
means a fee, reward, donation, loan, or receipt of anything of value.
(b) 
"Fortune-teller"
means any person who, for pay or for any consideration whatsoever, engages in the practice of fortune-telling as herein defined unless otherwise excepted.
(c) 
"Fortune-telling"
means telling of fortunes, forecasting of futures, or furnishing of any information not otherwise obtainable by the ordinary process of knowledge, by means of any occult, psychic power, faculty, force, chiromancy, clairvoyance, clair-audience, cartomancy, psychology, psychometry, phrenology, spirits, tea leaves or other such reading, mediumship, telepathy, or other craft art, science, cards, talisman, charm, potion, magnetism, magnetized article or substance, gypsy cunning or foresight, crystal gazing, oriental mysteries, or magic, of any kind or nature.
(d) 
"Fortune-telling establishment"
means any establishment having a fixed place of business where any person, firm, association, or corporation engages in, or carries on, or permits to be engaged in or carried on, any of the activities defined in subdivision (c) of this section.
(Added by Ord. No. 3390, effective 8-20-09)
(a) 
It shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person to engage in, conduct or carry on, or to permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, within the unincorporated area of the County, the operation of a fortune-telling establishment without first having obtained a license from the County as provided in Chapter 1 of this Part. A fortune-telling establishment license shall include the right of the individual licensee to practice fortune-telling at such an establishment.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person to act as a fortune-teller within the unincorporated area of the County without first having obtained a license from the County as provided in Chapter 1 of this Part.
(c) 
It shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person to act as a fortune-teller in other than a duly licensed fortune-telling establishment.
(Added by Ord. No. 3390, effective 8-20-09; amended by Ord. No. 3490, effective 2-25-16)
(a) 
The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to any person solely by reason of the fact that he or she is engaged in the business of entertaining the public by demonstrations of mind reading, mental telepathy, thought conveyance, or the giving of horoscopic readings, at public places and in the presence of and within the hearing of other persons and at which no questions are answered, as part of such entertainment, except in a manner to permit all persons present at such public place to hear such answers.
(b) 
No person shall be required to pay any fee or take out any license for conducting or participating in any religious ceremony or service when such person holds a certificate of ordination as a minister, priest, rector, missionary, medium, healer, or clairvoyant, hereinafter collectively referred to as a minister, from any bona fide church or religious association maintaining a church and holding regular services and having a creed or set of religious principles that is recognized by all churches of like faith; provided, that:
(1) 
Such minister holds a certificate of credit, commission or ordination under the ecclesiastical laws of a religious corporation incorporated under the laws of any State or territory of the United States of America, or any voluntary religious association, and who fully conforms to the rites and practices prescribed by the supreme conference, convocation, convention, assembly, association, or synod of the system or faith with which they are affiliated.
(2) 
The fees, gratuities, emoluments, and profits thereof shall be regularly accounted for and paid solely to or for the benefit of the bona fide church or religious association, as defined in this subdivision.
(3) 
The minister holding a certificate of ordination from such bona fide church or religious association, as defined in this subdivision, shall file with the license collector a certified copy of the minister's certificate of ordination with the minister's name, age, street address, and phone number in this County where the activity set forth in this subdivision is to be conducted.
(Added by Ord. No. 3390, effective 8-20-09)