Torrance Municipal Code Art. 3 Licenses

(Amended by O-2755; O-3761)

a) Except as provided in this Article, it shall be unlawful for any person to have, keep, maintain or harbor within the City, any dog without first having obtained from the City an annual license as provided in Section 41.3.2 or a tax exempt license as provided in Section 41.3.8 and Section 41.3.9 of this Code.

b) Any violation of this section is a misdemeanor, or alternatively, an infraction.

c) This section may be enforced by a city police officer, animal control officer, animal control supervisor, code enforcement officer, or any City employee authorized under Section 11.2.5 of the Torrance Municipal Code.

(Amended by O-280; O-560; O-568; O-752; O-1382; O-2077; O-2483; O-2757; O-2758; O-2835; O-2906; O-3043; O-3103; O-3200; O-3330; O-3378; O-3415; 0-3517; O-3763)

Effective May 1, 2013, the license fee for keeping and maintaining a dog in the City shall be the sum of Forty Dollars per year per dog. If at the time of licensing, a certificate is presented from a licensed veterinarian that the dog has been spayed or neutered, then the license fee for that dog shall be the sum of Twenty Dollars. Proof of current and valid rabies vaccination for each dog to be licensed must be presented for a license to be issued. The license is valid for one year from the date of issuance and must be renewed annually for each dog. Such license fee shall be paid within thirty days after moving into the City, or within thirty days after acquiring ownership of the dog. If such license fee is not paid within the above mentioned thirty days, or if the annual license has expired, a penalty of Twenty Dollars shall be added to such fee and collected therewith.

(Amended by O-3272; O-3763)

Whenever it is necessary to replace a dog license tag, a fee of Five Dollars shall be charged.

Any person conducting, managing or maintaining a dog kennel shall pay to the City a license tax on such dog kennel (hereinafter called a kennel tax) as follows:

a) For any kennel of less than eleven (11) dogs, Ten Dollars ($10.00) per year or fraction thereof.

b) For eleven (11) to fifteen (15) dogs, inclusive, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) per year or fraction thereof.

c) For sixteen (16) or more dogs, Twenty Dollars ($20.00) per year or fraction thereof.

The kennel tax shall be due and payable in the manner and for the period provided for in Section 41.3.2. for the license tax on dogs.

In ascertaining the number of dogs being kept and maintained in kennels, for the purpose of computing the kennel tax, licensed dogs shall be excluded from such number in the event that the person conducting, managing or maintaining such kennel furnishes to the poundmaster or City Clerk, at the time of making application for such kennel license, an affidavit stating therein the number of such licensed dogs and their license numbers; provided, however, that for any kennel containing licensed dogs, there shall be paid a kennel tax in an amount equal to the minimum amount required by the provisions of this Section for dog kennels. The kennel tax shall not apply to any dog kept or maintained exclusively in any dog kennel in the City and not permitted to run at large.

The amount of any license or kennel tax, together with penalties, any impounding fee and all other charges provided for in this Article shall be a debt owed to the City by the owners of the animal for which such tax, fee or charge is due. For the purpose of this Section, the licensed owner and every person in possession of any dog who shall permit such dog to remain about the premises for a period of five (5) days shall be deemed the owner thereof.

The City Clerk shall sell said dog and kennel licenses and collect said taxes; provided, however, that the City Council may by contract, confer such duties upon the poundmaster, in which case the City Clerk shall purchase all dog and kennel licenses or otherwise provide for an accounting of all such licenses issued by the poundmaster.

No person shall imitate or counterfeit the licenses provided for in this Article or use any imitation or counterfeit of such tag.

(Added by O-2766; O-2767)

a) The license tax imposed by Section 41.3.2. for keeping and maintaining a dog in the City shall not apply to any individual taxpayer sixty-five (65) years of age or older who keeps and maintains a dog in or upon any premises occupied by such taxpayer, and of which said taxpayer is the head of the household, provided the combined gross income for the most recently completed calendar year of all members of the household residing in such principal residence does not exceed Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($7,500.00).

b) The exemption granted by this Section shall not eliminate the duty of the licensing authority to collect the license tax from such exempt individuals or the duty of such exempt individuals to pay said license tax to the licensing authority unless an exemption is applied for by the individual who keeps and maintains a dog and is granted in accordance with the provisions of Section 41.4.9.

c) No individual may be issued or possess more than one (1) tax exempt license at any given time and no more than one (1) tax exempt license per household shall be issued.

(Added by O-2766; O-2767)

a) Any person who keeps and maintains a dog and is exempt from the taxes imposed by this Article because of the provisions of Section 41.3.8., may file an application with the Finance Director for an exemption. Such application shall be made upon forms supplied by the Finance Director and shall recite facts under oath which qualify the applicant for an exemption.

b) The Finance Director shall review all such applications and certify as exempt those applicants determined to qualify therefor and shall notify the licensing authority that such exemption has been approved, stating the name of the applicant, the address where the dog is kept and maintained, and such other information as may be necessary for the licensing authority to exempt the applicant from the license tax.

c) Upon receipt of such notice, the licensing authority shall not be required to collect the license tax imposed by this Article from such exempt person who keeps and maintains a dog until further notice from the Finance Director is given.

(Added by O-2766; O-2767)

a) All exemptions shall continue and be renewed automatically by the Finance Director so long as the prerequisite facts supporting the initial qualification for exemption shall continue; provided, however, that such individual may apply for a new exemption with each change of address or residence.

b) Any individual exempt from the tax shall notify the Finance Director within ten (10) days of any change in fact or circumstance which might disqualify said individual from receiving such exemption. It shall be a misdemeanor for any person to knowingly receive the benefits of the exemptions provided by this Article when the basis for such exemption either does not exist or ceases to exist.

(Added by O-2766; O-2767)

Notwithstanding any provisions of this Article, if the licensing agency determines by any means that a person knowingly receives the benefits of the exemption provided for by this Article when the basis for such exempt license either does not exist or ceases to exist, such licensing authority shall immediately notify the Finance Director of such fact and the Finance Director shall conduct an investigation to ascertain whether or not the provisions of this Article have been complied with, and where appropriate, order the licensing authority to commence collecting the tax from the non-exempt individual who keeps and maintains a dog.

(Added by O-2766; O-2767)

If the Finance Director rejects any claim for exemption, the applicant may appeal to the City Council in accordance with the procedures established in Article 5 of Chapter 1 of Division 1 of this Code.