Fresno Municipal Code Art. 11 Business Licenses—exemptions

(a) Any honorably discharged or released soldier, sailor, marine, airmen or guardian of the United States or of the American Merchant Marine or of the Military Sea Transport Service, who served or shall serve in any war in which the United States has been or may be engaged; who is physically unable to obtain a livelihood by manual labor, and who is a qualified voter of this state, upon producing discharge documents and proof of disability, and is a qualified voter of this state, may distribute circulars and hawk, peddle, and vend any goods, wares or merchandise owned by said person, within the City of Fresno, except spirituous, malt, vinous or other intoxicating liquor, without payment of any license tax or fee whatsoever, and the Department of Finance shall issue to such soldier, sailor or marine of the United States or of the American Merchant Marine or of the Military Sea Transport Service, without cost, a license therefor for a period of thirty days with renewal privileges.

(b) A person who is honorably discharged or honorably relieved from the Armed Forces of the United States, and is a resident of the State of California, may distribute circulars, and hawk, peddle and vend any goods, wares, or merchandise owned by that person, except spiritous, malt, or vinous, or other intoxicating liquor, without payment of any business license fee, the City shall issue to that person, without cost, a license.

(c) A person who is honorably discharged or honorably relieved from the Armed Forces of the United States and is a resident of the State of California shall not be required to pay any business license fee for a business selling or providing service if the veteran is the sole proprietor of the business.

(d) A person who is honorably discharged or honorably relieved from the Armed Forces of the United States and is a resident of the State of California may have any business license fee or tax waived for the operation of a new business for the first one year of operation, and such waiver shall not be an amount exceeding one thousand dollars ($1000.00), if the veteran is the sole proprietor of the business; except for those businesses that sell alcohol, cannabis, or tobacco products shall be ineligible to receive any license tax fee waiver. This waiver shall be limited to a one time use per veteran for the duration of the veteran's lifetime.

(Orig. Ord. 4603; Am. Ord. 2025-021, § 1, eff. 7-18-25).

Editor's note— Ord. 2025-021, § 1, effective July 18, 2025, amended the title of § 7-1101 to read as herein set out. The former § 7-1101 title pertained to disabled veterans.

(a) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as applying to any person conducting any business or occupation exempt from taxation or license by virtue of Sec. 14 of Art. XIII of the Constitution of the State of California, or the Constitution of the United States, nor shall it be construed to authorize any act prohibited by any law of California or by the provisions of this Code, or to authorize the conduct of any business for which a permit from the Council is required, until such permit is obtained.

(b) The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to commercial travelers or selling agents selling their goods to dealers for future deliveries.

(c) The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the renting, letting or subletting of property by an individual to himself or to an entity wholly owned by him. (Orig. Ord. 4603; Am. Ord. 4962, 1956; Am. Ord. 5311, 1958; Am. Ord. 83-93, § 1, eff. 7-22-83).

The provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed or construed to require the payment of a license to conduct, manage or carry on any business, occupation or activity, or require the payment of any license fee from any institution or organization, which is conducted, managed or carried on wholly for the benefit of charitable purposes, or from which profit is not derived either directly or indirectly by any person; nor shall any license be required for the conducting of any entertainment, concert, exhibition or lecture on scientific, historical, literary, religious or moral subjects, whenever the receipts of any such entertainment, concert, exhibition or lecture are to be appropriated to any church or school, or to any charitable, religious or benevolent purpose within the city; nor shall any license be required for the conducting of any entertainment, dance, concert, exhibition or lecture by any religious, charitable, fraternal, educational, military, state, county or municipal organization or association whenever the receipts of any such entertainment, dance, concert, exhibition or lecture are to be appropriated for the purposes and objects for which such association or organizations was formed, and from which profit is not derived, either directly or indirectly, by any person; provided, however, that nothing in this section contained shall be deemed to exempt any such institution or organization from complying with the provisions of this Code requiring such institution or organization to obtain a permit from the proper board or officer to conduct, manage or carry on any profession, trade, calling or occupation.

(Orig. Ord. 4603; Am. Ord. 5315, 1958).

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to credit union corporations.

(Added Ord. 6220, 1963).

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to garage sales conducted pursuant to Section 12-320 of this Code.

(Am. Ord. 79-184, § 2, eff. 12-14-79).

Any grower or producer of any articles of ranch products who grows or produces said products in the city shall be entitled to a license without fee unless the grower or producer sells said products from a produce stand on property located within the city. Any grower or producer qualified by the terms of this ordinance to claim a license fee exemption provided herein shall first file with the Controller an affidavit setting forth his name and address, the amount and variety of produce he proposes to sell, the place where said produce was grown or produced, and that such produce was grown or produced by him.

(Added Ord. 85-125, § 1, eff. 9-27-85).

The license fee provisions of this chapter, excluding application processing fees, shall not apply to the first full year of operations of a newly established business beginning operation in the city of Fresno after January 1, 2000, provided that the business has complied with all filing requirements provided for by other sections of this chapter. A newly established business shall not be construed to mean the relocation, name change, or ownership change of an existing business. This exemption does not apply to itinerant or transient businesses of any kind, including any temporary event, or to businesses whose premises are not otherwise permanently located within the city of Fresno.

(Added Ord. 99-64, § 1, eff. 12-9-99).