Santa Barbara County Municipal Code § 6-18 Same—Fee not to be prorated

For the purpose of this division the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

Location Owner. Every person not engaged in the business of renting out or placing mechanical amusement devices, but who owns, uses and operates not more than two such mechanical amusement devices.

Mechanical Amusement Device. Any table, board, machine, video or electronic game device or apparatus fitted for use by the public, the operation of which is permitted, controlled, allowed or made possible by the deposit or insertion of any coin, plate, disc, slug or key into any slot, crevice or opening, or by the payment of any fees, and which operates, or which may be operated for use as a game, contest or amusement or which may be used for any such game, contest or amusement, but which table, board, machine, device or apparatus does not contain a pay-off device and which does not return or vend any article or merchandise, or any money, coin, check or token.

Operator. Any person engaged in the business of renting out or placing mechanical amusement devices in various locations within the county; and every person who owns, uses and operates more than two mechanical amusement devices.

(Ord. No. 1077, § 1450; Ord. No. 3434, § 1)

Every operator of mechanical amusement devices shall first pay an occupational license fee to the county in the sum of one hundred dollars per calendar year.

(Ord. No. 1077,0 § 1451; Ord. No. 3434, § 1)

* As to licenses generally, see ch. 22 of this Code.

In addition to the occupational license fee required by section 6-13, each operator shall pay a location license fee in the sum of four dollars per year for each mechanical amusement device rented out or placed by such operator in the county.

(Ord. No. 1077, § 1452; Ord. No. 3434, § 1)

A location owner shall be exempt from the payment of the occupational license fee required of an operator. Every location owner shall pay a license fee for each mechanical amusement device owned, used and operated by him, in the sum of four dollars per year.

(Ord. No. 1077, § 1453; Ord. No. 3434, § 1)

The license issued for each mechanical amusement device shall be conspicuously posted at the location of the device in the premises where such device is operated or maintained to be operated, or shall be attached to such mechanical amusement device.

(Ord. No. 1077, § 1454)

If application for an occupation amusement license is made after March 30, the tax collector may prorate the yearly rate as set forth in section 6-13. This proration shall be calculated in quarter years, beginning with the first day of April, July, or October.

(Ord. No. 1077, § 1456; Ord. No. 3434, § 5)

Location owner's licenses or location licenses to be paid under the provisions of this article shall not be prorated. Occupational licenses, location owner's licenses or location licenses paid under the provisions of this article shall not be refunded.

(Ord. No. 1077, § 1455; Ord. No. 3434, § 6)

Any mechanical amusement device operated or maintained to be operated in violation of any law of the state, or in violation of any of the provisions of this Code or other ordinance shall be deemed to be a public nuisance, and any such mechanical amusement device so operated or maintained to be operated shall be impounded by any peace officer, or county tax collector, or deputy tax collector, and all peace officers of the county are charged with the duty of impounding the same.

If any such mechanical amusement device so impounded is one which may be legally operated under the provisions of this division and is seized for the failure of the owner or operator to secure the proper license, such mechanical amusement device shall not be released until a license for such mechanical amusement device has been obtained and the fee therefore paid, together with a penalty of fifty dollars.

If any court of competent jurisdiction shall determine that any mechanical amusement device or the use or operation thereof violates, or has violated any law of the state, this Code, or any ordinance of the county, such mechanical amusement device shall be confiscated, and shall be dealt with as provided by the judgment or order of the court.

(Ord. No. 1077, § 1457; Ord. No. 3434, § 7)

This division shall not be construed to permit the licensing of any slot machine or gambling device declared illegal by the Penal Code; nor shall any license issued under the terms hereof permit the operation, possession or use of any slot machine or gambling device declared illegal by the State Penal Code.

(Ord. No. 1077, § 1458)