[Approved 12-11-1969 by Ch. No. 1235]
[Amended 7-25-1996 by Ch. No. 2420]
All licensees and licensed places hereinafter enumerated shall pay the fees hereby fixed and be subject to and governed by the state statutes contained in the General Laws of Rhode Island, 1956 and amendments thereto, under the following Titles, chapters and sections: 5-2-1 through 14; 5-5-1 through 5-5-20; 5-7-1 and 2; 5-16-1 through 7; 5-22-1 through 5-22-26; 5-23-1 through 5-23-6; 5-24-1 through 5; 11-19-30 and 31; 19-26-1 through 19-26-19; 41-6-1 through 7, and the rules and regulations herein contained.
[Amended 11-26-1990 by Ch. No. 2168; 7-25-1996 by Ch. No. 2420; 7-21-2005 by Ch. No. 2774; 10-6-2005 by Ch. No. 2783; 11-23-2005 by Ch. No. 2790]
The City Clerk is authorized, at his or her discretion, to issue, without specific action by the City Council, licenses authorized by above-mentioned titles, chapters and sections of the General Laws of Rhode Island, 1956, and amendments, except the following licenses:
A. 
Athletic games.
B. 
Bagatelle, billiard, pool and scippio tables.
C. 
Bowling alleys.
D. 
Carnivals and circuses.
E. 
Employment agencies or keeper of intelligence.
F. 
Laundries.
G. 
Pawnbrokers.
H. 
Private detectives.
I. 
Holiday sales, taverns and victualling houses.
J. 
Annual licenses for bingo or beano.
K. 
Movies, moving-picture shows, musicals, theatricals, and vaudeville performances.
L. 
Roller-skating rinks.
[Amended 9-8-1983 by Ch. No. 1859; 3-8-1984 by Ch. No. 1874; 7-25-1996 by Ch. No. 2420; 4-22-2004 by Ch. No. 2728; 7-21-2005 by Ch. No. 2774; 10-6-2005 by Ch. No. 2783; 11-23-2005 by Ch. No. 2790; 11-21-2007 by Ch. No. 2882; 11-22-2017 by Ch. No. 3145; 7-10-2025 by Ch. No. 3320]
License fees shall be as follows:
Type of License
Fee
Athletic game, professional, defined R.I.G.L.§ 41-6-1:
Sunday, per game
$25
Bagatelle, billiard, pool and scippio tables:
Weekdays and Sundays, annually, per table December 2 to December 1
$50
However, the license fee for any location wherever any bagatelle, billiard, pool and scippio tables may be kept shall not exceed $200 annually.
Bowling alley, weekdays and Sundays annually, per alley
$10
Employment agency or keeper of intelligence, annually from June 1 to May 31
$50
Flea markets
$100
Golf, miniature, Sunday
$75
Laundries, public and automatic coin-operated
$10
Annually from July 1 to June 30
Pawnbrokers, annually from May 1 to April 30
$200
Private detectives, annually from July 1 to June 30
$150
Shows and exhibitions:
Carnival and circus, per day:
$25
Dance and masquerade, per day:
$25
Entertainment not otherwise specified, per day:
$25
Class B liquor license entertainment, annual:
$260
Movies, moving-picture show, musical, theatrical and vaudeville performances:
Annual premises license fee, January 1 to December 31
$25
Temporary mass gathering permit
$300
Roller-skating/ice rinks, annually
$150
Holiday sales (from April 1 to March 31)
$100
Taverns (rooming houses), annual from December 2 to December 1 at midnight:
First Class (with meals)
$200
Second Class (without meals)
$50
Victualling houses, annual from December 2 to December 1 at midnight:
First Class (Sundays and holidays)
$250
Second Class (no Sundays or holidays)
$150
A. 
Every licensee licensed under the provisions of R.I.G.L. §§ 5-22-1 through 5-22-26 (shows and exhibitions) and R.I.G.L. §§ 41-6-1 through 41-6-7 (athletic games), shall be required to provide a signed police and fire detail form or waiver of detail form to the City Clerk's office prior to the issuance of the license. The Director of Public Safety, or his or her designee(s), may, at his or her discretion, require such licensee to have one or more police officers and one or more firefighters in attendance.
[Amended 7-25-1996 by Ch. No. 2420; 6-16-2010 by Ch. No. 2939]
B. 
In the event that there exist shows and exhibitions within the City of Pawtucket which are operated on a continuing basis, week after week, and in the event that such operations have had a record of quiet and orderly operation, without incident, then the Director of Public Safety, at his or her discretion, may relieve such operations from the requirement of police attendance; provided, further, however, that the operators of such functions satisfy the Director of Public Safety that they are employing independent means to maintain order and decorum.
C. 
The fee for such police officers and firefighters shall conform with the contract between the City of Pawtucket and Pawtucket Lodge No. 4 Fraternal Order of Police and Local 1261 International Association of Firefighters AFL-CIO.
D. 
All such fees shall be paid at the respective department.
E. 
All licenses issued by the City Clerk shall designate the closing hour of the show, exhibition or athletic game for which such license is issued.
[Amended 7-25-1996 by Ch. No. 2420]
[Added 10-6-2005 by Ch. No. 2783][1]
Pursuant to R.I.G.L. § 5-23-2, a retail establishment shall not be open on a holiday as defined in R.I.G.L. § 5-23-1(a) unless it has obtained a holiday sales license from the Pawtucket City Council.
[1]
Editor’s Note: This enactment also repealed former § 260-6, Classification of Sunday sales licenses; fees, as amended.
The taverns and victualling house licenses authorized under R.I.G.L. §§ 5-24-1 through 5-24-5 shall be classified as First Class and Second Class tavern licenses; First Class and Second Class victualling house licenses.
A. 
A First Class tavern license shall authorize and permit the licensee thereunder to furnish food and lodging at any time at the place designated in said license while said license is in force.
B. 
A Second Class tavern license shall authorize and permit the licensee thereunder to furnish lodging, but not food, at any time at the place designated in said license while said license is in force.
C. 
A First Class victualling house license shall authorize and permit the licensee thereunder to furnish food, but not lodging, at any time at the place designated in said license while said license is in force.
D. 
A Second Class victualling house license shall authorize and permit the licenses thereunder to furnish food, but not lodging, between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. any day except Sundays and holidays while said license is in force.
[Amended 7-25-1996 by Ch. No. 2420]
[Added 3-8-1984 by Ch. No. 1874]
Bingo or beano licenses, as authorized under R.I.G.L. §§ 11-19-30 through 11-19-45, shall be regulated as follows:
A. 
Fees. Bingo or beano, or substantially the same game under any other name, shall be as follows: $100 annually plus $25 per game per week.
B. 
Yearly license. The yearly license issued for the conduct of beano or bingo games shall run annually from October 1 to September 30.
[Amended 7-25-1996 by Ch. No. 2420]
C. 
Special permits. In accordance with authority granted under R.I.G.L. §§ 11-19-40, charitable organizations that do not intend to run bingo games more than once in any consecutive six-month period, or those charitable organizations where the total prizes for any such occasion shall not exceed $75, shall be entitled to a special permit in lieu of a yearly license. Application for said special permit shall be obtained from the office of the City Clerk. Said permit shall be issued by the City Clerk and shall be valid for one year. There shall be no fee required.
A. 
The City Council may authorize the transfer from one location to some other location or to some other person, firm or corporation at the same or some other location of any of the licenses that are allowed to be transferred by law, for the fee of $50.
[Amended 3-8-1984 by Ch. No. 1874; 10-6-2005 by Ch. No. 2783; 11-22-2017 by Ch. No. 3145]
B. 
Second Class tavern or victualling house licenses may be transferred to First Class licenses of the same character either at the same or some other location but only to the original licensee.
[Amended 10-6-2005 by Ch. No. 2783]
C. 
No transfer of any kind shall be made except upon written application therefor, and the original license shall be surrendered to the City Clerk at the time of issue of the new license. No license under a transfer shall be issued until such surrender is made.
No holder of any license herein enumerated shall open or permit to be opened any place of business except during the hours authorized by law and the ordinances of the City and in accordance with the rules and regulations herein set forth. No licensee shall transact or permit to be transacted any business except as provided by said laws, ordinances and rules and regulations.
Any place of business, show, exhibition, dance or game licensed by or under the authority of the City Council shall be open at all times to inspection by the Mayor, members of the City Council, Director of Public Safety, Chief of Police, Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and inspectors from the State Department of Health and Community Medical Services.
[Added 7-5-2000 by Ch. No. 2566]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ENTERTAINMENT
Any live production of music or sound by an individual, band, musician or musicians, any theatrical performance, rope or wire dancing or other show or exhibition or performance, including but not limited to, karaoke, wrestling, boxing or sparring match or exhibition or public skating rink or hall; any music or sound provided by any mechanical, electronic or other means, such as record, tape or other audio. or audiovisual means.
INDIVIDUAL or BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT
Any person, corporation, club, partnership, association, society or any other organized group of persons, including officers, directors and trustees of a corporation, club, association or society.[1]
PREMISES
Any room, place or space in the City of Pawtucket in which entertainment, as defined herein, is produced or provided to which the public may gain admission, either with or without the payment of a fee, including, but not limited to, any building, theater, hall or rink.
[1]
Editor's Note: The definition of "personal services," added 7-21-2005 by Ch. No. 2774, which immediately followed this definition, was repealed 11-23-2005 by Ch. No. 2790.
[Added 7-5-2000 by Ch. No. 2566; amended 7-21-2005 by Ch. No. 2774; 11-23-2005 by Ch. No. 2790]
A. 
All individuals or business establishments providing entertainment, as defined herein, shall discontinue the entertainment portion between the hours of 12:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. All individuals and business establishments shall be closed no later than 1:00 a.m.
B. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this provision shall not preclude the City Council from further restricting the hours of entertainment in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of abutting property owners and/or businesses.
C. 
Violation of this section shall be grounds for license suspension or revocation. In addition, violation of this section shall constitute sufficient grounds for denial of future entertainment licenses and may be subject to the following fines:
[Added 4-20-2006 by Ch. No. 2805]
(1) 
First offense: $100.
(2) 
Second offense: $200.
(3) 
Third and subsequent offenses: $300.