§ 20-4. Licensing; exemptions.

(a)

City license required. Except as otherwise provided for by this chapter, no person shall conduct business within this jurisdiction as a peddler or solicitor, without first obtaining a city license. Solicitors need not be licensed but are required to register with the city pursuant to section 20-8.

(b)

Application. An application for a city license to conduct business as a peddler or solicitor shall be made at least 30 regular business days before the applicant desires to begin conducting a business operation within the city. Application for a license shall be made on a form approved by the city and available from the office of finance. All applications shall be signed by the applicant. All applications shall include the following information:

(1)

The applicant's full legal name.

(2)

Any and all other names under which the applicant has or does conduct business or to which the applicant will officially answer to.

(3)

A physical description of the applicant (hair color, eye color, height, weight, any distinguishing marks or features, and the like).

(4)

Full address of applicant's permanent residence.

(5)

Telephone number of applicant's permanent residence.

(6)

Full legal name of any and all business operations owned, managed or operated by applicant or for which the applicant is an employee or an agent.

(7)

Full address of applicant's regular place of business, if any exists.

(8)

Any and all business-related telephone numbers of the applicant, including cellular phones and facsimiles (fax) machines.

(9)

The type of business for which the applicant is applying for a license.

(10)

Whether the applicant is applying for an annual or daily license.

(11)

The dates during which the applicant intends to conduct business. If the applicant is applying for a daily license, the number of days he or she will be conducting business within the city.

(12)

Any and all addresses and telephone numbers where the applicant can be reached while conducting business within the city.

(13)

A statement as to whether or not the applicant has been convicted within the last five years of any felony or misdemeanor for violating any state or federal statute or any local ordinance, other than minor traffic offenses.

(14)

A list of the three most recent locations where the applicant has conducted business as a peddler.

(15)

Proof of sales tax registration.

(16)

A general description of the items to be sold or services to be provided.

(17)

Any and all additional information as may be deemed necessary by the city.

(18)

The applicant's driver's license or other acceptable government issued form of identification.

(19)

The license plate number, registration information, vehicle identification number (VIN) and physical description of any vehicle to be used in conjunction with the licensed business operation.

(c)

Fee. A $50.00 application fee shall be assessed on all applications for a license under this chapter. Unless otherwise set out in the city's Code of Ordinances including, but not limited to section 8-24 therein.

(d)

Procedure. Upon receipt of the application and payment of the license fee, the finance department shall, within five regular business days, determine if the application is complete. An application shall be considered complete if all required information is provided. If the finance department determines that the application is incomplete, the city shall inform the applicant of the required, necessary information that is missing. If the application is complete, the finance department shall order any investigation, including background checks, necessary to verify the information provided with the application. Within 20 regular business days of receiving a complete application, the finance department shall issue the license, unless grounds exist for denying the license application under section [20-4], in which case the finance department shall deny the request for a city peddler license. If the finance department denies the license application, the applicant shall be notified in writing of the decision, the reason for denial, and the applicant's right to appeal the denial by requesting, within 20 days of receiving notice of rejection, a public hearing before the city council. The city council shall hear the appeal within 20 days of the date of the request for a hearing. The decision of the city council following the public hearing can be appealed by petitioning the Slidell City Court.

(e)

Duration. An annual license granted under this chapter shall be valid for one calendar year from the date of issuance. All other licenses granted to peddlers under this chapter shall be valid only during the time period indicated on the license.

(f)

Professional fundraisers not exempt. A professional fundraiser working on behalf of an otherwise exempt group or person shall not be exempt from the licensing requirements of this chapter.

(g)

License exemptions.

(1)

No license shall be required for any person to sell or attempt to sell, or to take or attempt to take orders for, any product grown, produced, cultivated or raised on any farm, or any fisher or crabber who is attempting to sell or sell wares he caught or harvested from the waters of Louisiana.

(2)

No license shall be required for any person going from house-to-house, door-to-door, business-to-business, street-to-street or any other type of place-to-place movement for the primary purpose of exercising that person's state or federal constitutional rights such as the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and the like. This exemption will not apply if the person's exercise of constitutional rights is merely incidental to what would be considered a commercial activity.

(3)

Nonprofit corporations, as defined by R.S. 12:201 et seq., shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter upon obtaining a fee free city permit by producing a copy of their certificate of incorporation as described by R.S. 12:205 and signing the appropriate city form attesting to their nonprofit nature and having such form duly notarized by a licensed notary of St. Tammany Parish. Such city permits or a copy of such permits must be carried on the persons at all times while engaged in any activity regulated by this chapter and must be produced on demand when so requested by any official or citizen of the city. Fee free permits issued under the requirements of this section shall be valid only from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during Standard Time in the area of the city zoned residential, and shall not be valid for solicitors upon any property posted with a "No Peddlers or Solicitors" or "Peddlers and Solicitors Prohibited" sign or placard or other comparable statement.

(Ord. No. 3704, 10-8-2013)