CHAPTER 5
BUSINESS LICENSES
SECTION:
5-5-1: Exercise Of Revenue License Power
5-5-3: General Business License Registration
5-5-5: Requirements For General Business License Registrations Within An Aquifer Protection Area
5-5-6: Confidentiality Of Information
5-5-1 EXERCISE OF REVENUE LICENSE POWER:
The provisions of this Chapter shall be deemed an exercise of the power of the City to license for revenue and regulation. These powers include, but are not limited to, an inherent and necessary power to audit records to determine appropriate reporting units or fee amounts. The Administrator shall have the authority to inspect premises in which business is conducted, and review or audit business records with reasonable prior notice. The provisions of this Chapter prescribing license fees shall be strictly construed in favor of the applicability of the license fee. (Ord. 5679, 12-3-12; Ord. 5704, 2-24-14; Ord. 5894, 11-5-18)
5-5-2 DEFINITIONS:
Words are to be given their usual meaning. When not inconsistent with the context, words in the singular number shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular, and words in one gender shall include all other genders. The word “shall” is always mandatory and not merely directory. In construing the provisions of this Title, except when otherwise declared or clearly apparent from the context, the following definitions shall be applied:
A. ABATE: To clean, eliminate, remove, repair or otherwise remedy a condition that amounts to a nuisance or chronic nuisance under RMC Chapter 1-3 and/or RMC Chapter 5-5 by such manner, means, and to the extent as a City administrator or a law enforcement officer determines is reasonably necessary to protect the general health, morals, safety and welfare of the City of Renton.
B. ACT: Doing, finishing, performing, or preparing to do something.
C. ADMINISTRATOR: the Finance Administrator or designee, unless otherwise specified.
D. BUSINESS: All activities engaged in with the purpose of gain, benefit, or advantage to the taxpayer or to another person or class, directly or indirectly.
E. BUSINESS ENTERPRISE: See definition of PLACE OF BUSINESS WITHIN THE CITY.
F. CALLS FOR SERVICE: Calls or communications to 911, including but not limited to Valley Communications, and/or calls or communications directly to the Renton Police Department or one of its officers, or the viewing of an offense by an officer. Calls for service, as that term is used in the definition of “chronic nuisance premises,” does not include incidents that are unrelated to the chronic nuisance premises, its resident(s), owner(s), guest(s), patron(s), or calls for general information.
G. CHRONIC NUISANCE PREMISES:
1. As it relates to a building, structure or business enterprise used for commercial, retail, or entertainment purposes, or the area within two hundred feet (200') of such premises, including business enterprises regulated by the Liquor and Cannabis Board, and including public, private, commercial or industrial parking lots within two hundred feet (200') of such premises, “chronic nuisance premises” means a property on which any of the following exists or occurred:
a. Six (6) or more calls for service occur or exist during any sixty (60)-day period; or
b. Ten (10) or more calls for service occur or exist during any one hundred and eighty (180)-day period; or
c. Fourteen (14) or more calls for service occur or exist during any twelve (12)-month period.
2. Any action against a chronic nuisance premises and/or its owner, managing agent or person in control for a violation under this subsection G shall not preclude the use any other subsection of this section or any other section of the RMC.
H. CITY: The City of Renton.
I. CODE COMPLIANCE INSPECTOR (CCI) or CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER (CEO): Any person authorized by the City to investigate or inspect for code violations.
J. CONTROL: The ability to dominate, govern, manage, own or regulate a premises, or the conduct that occurs in or on a premises.
K. DRUG-RELATED ACTIVITY: Any activity at a premises that violates Chapter 69.41 RCW (Legend Drugs), Chapter 69.50 RCW (Uniform Controlled Substances Act), Chapter 69.51A (Medical Marijuana) or 69.52 RCW (Imitation Controlled Substances), Chapter 69.53 RCW (Use of Buildings for Unlawful Drugs) or any applicable federal, state or local law regulating the same general subject matter, as they currently exist or may be amended.
L. EMERGENCY: Any situation which a City administrator or law enforcement officer reasonably believes requires immediate action to prevent or eliminate an immediate threat to public health, morals, safety, or welfare of persons or property in the City of Renton.
M. EMPLOYEE: Any person employed at any business enterprise who performs any part of his or her duties within the City, except casual laborers not employed in the usual course of business. A sole proprietor is not an employee. All officers, agents, dealers, franchisees, etc., of a corporation or business trust, and all but one partner of a partnership (except limited partners), are employees within this definition.
N. ENGAGING IN BUSINESS:
1. The term “engaging in business” means commencing, conducting, or continuing in business, and also the exercise of corporate or franchise powers, as well as liquidating a business when the liquidators thereof hold themselves out to the public as conducting such business.
2. This subsection sets forth examples of activities that constitute engaging in business in the City, and establishes safe harbors for certain of those activities so that a person who meets the criteria may engage in de minimis business activities in the City without having to pay a business license fee. The activities listed in this subsection are illustrative only and are not intended to narrow the definition of “engaging in business” in RMC 5-5-2.N.1. If an activity is not listed, whether it constitutes engaging in business in the City shall be determined by considering all the facts and circumstances and applicable law.
3. Without being all inclusive, any one of the following activities conducted within the City by a person, or its employee, agent, representative, independent contractor, broker or another acting on its behalf constitutes engaging in business and requires a person to register and obtain a business license.
a. Owning, renting, leasing, maintaining, or having the right to use, or using, tangible personal property, intangible personal property, or real property permanently or temporarily located in the City.
b. Owning, renting, leasing, using, or maintaining, an office, place of business, or other establishment within the City.
c. Soliciting sales.
d. Making repairs or providing maintenance or service to real or tangible personal property, including warranty work and property maintenance.
e. Providing technical assistance or service, including quality control, product inspections, warranty work, or similar services on or in connection with tangible personal property sold by the person or on its behalf.
f. Installing, constructing, or supervising installation or construction of, real or tangible personal property.
g. Soliciting, negotiating, or approving franchise, license, or other similar agreements.
h. Collecting current or delinquent accounts.
i. Picking up and transporting tangible personal property, solid waste, construction debris, or excavated materials.
j. Providing disinfecting and pest control services, employment and labor pool services, home nursing care, janitorial services, appraising, landscape architectural services, security system services, surveying, and real estate services including the listing of homes and managing real property.
k. Rendering professional services such as those provided by accountants, architects, attorneys, auctioneers, consultants, engineers, professional athletes, barbers, baseball clubs and other sports organizations, chemists, psychologists, court reporters, dentists, doctors, detectives, laboratory operators, teachers, veterinarians.
l. Meeting with customers or potential customers, even when no sales or orders are solicited at the meetings.
m. Training or recruiting agents, representatives, independent contractors, brokers or others, domiciled or operating on a job in the City, acting on its behalf, or for customers or potential customers.
n. Investigating, resolving, or otherwise assisting in resolving customer complaints.
o. In-store stocking or manipulating products or goods, sold to and owned by a customer, regardless of where sale and delivery of the goods took place.
p. Delivering goods in vehicles owned, rented, leased, used, or maintained by the person or another acting on its behalf.
4. If a person, or its employee, agent, representative, independent contractor, broker or another acting on the person’s behalf, engages in no other activities in or with the City but the following, it need not register and obtain a business license.
a. Meeting with suppliers of goods and services as a customer.
b. Meeting with government representatives in their official capacity, other than those performing contracting or purchasing functions.
c. Attending meetings, such as board meetings, retreats, seminars, and conferences, or other meetings wherein the person does not provide training in connection with tangible personal property sold by the person or on its behalf. This provision does not apply to any board of director member or attendee engaging in business such as a member of a board of directors who attends a board meeting.
d. Renting tangible or intangible property as a customer when the property is not used in the City.
e. Attending, but not participating in a “trade show” or “multiple vendor events”. Persons participating at a trade show shall review the City’s trade show or multiple vendor event ordinances.
f. Conducting advertising through the mail.
g. Soliciting sales by phone from a location outside the City.
5. A seller located outside the City merely delivering goods into the City by means of common carrier is not required to register and obtain a business license, provided that it engages in no other business activities in the City. Such activities do not include those in RMC 5-5-2.N.4.
The City expressly intends that engaging in business include any activity sufficient to establish nexus for purposes of applying the license fee under the law and the constitutions of the United States and the State of Washington. Nexus is presumed to continue as long as the taxpayer benefits from the activity that constituted the original nexus generating contact or subsequent contacts.
O. GENERAL PUBLIC: The City of Renton, any of its communities or neighborhoods, or more than one (1) citizen, neighbor and/or their guest(s).
P. HEARING EXAMINER: An individual authorized to hear administrative appeals and designated matters for the City of Renton.
Q. INCURRED EXPENSE: Includes, but is not limited to, actual, direct or indirect, appeal costs, fees and expenses; attorney, expert, filing and litigation costs, fees and expenses; hearing costs and expenses; copy, documentation, and investigation costs and expenses; notice, contract and inspection costs and expenses; personnel expenses; hauling, disposal and storage costs and expenses; preparation, travel and parking costs, fees and expenses; photocopying, mailing and service costs and expenses. All such costs and expenses shall constitute a lien against the affected property, as set forth in RMC 1-3-3.G.6, as it exists or may be amended.
R. MATERIAL STATEMENT: Any written or oral statement reasonably likely to be relied upon by a public servant in the discharge of his or her official powers or duties.
S. MONETARY PENALTY: Any cost, fines or penalties related to violation of this Chapter, including but not limited to actual fines or penalties to be paid as a result of a nuisance.
T. NUISANCE or NUISANCE VIOLATION: is defined in RMC 1-3-3.B, as it exists or may be amended, and as applicable, that definition applies in this Chapter.
U. PERSON: means any individual, receiver, administrator, executor, assignee, trustee in bankruptcy, trust, estate, firm, co-partnership, joint venture, club, company, joint stock company, business trust, municipal corporation, political subdivision of the State of Washington, corporation, limited liability company, association, society, or any group of individuals acting as a unit, whether mutual, cooperative, fraternal, non-profit, or otherwise and the United States of America or any of its instrumentalities.
V. PLACE OF BUSINESS WITHIN THE CITY: A temporary or permanent physical location inside the city limits of Renton where business is conducted or intended to be conducted.
W. REGULATORY LICENSE: Any license regulated under RMC Chapter 5-12, RMC Chapter 5-13, or RMC Chapter 5-20.
X. SPECIALIZED PERMIT: Any permit listed in the City of Renton Fee Schedule.
Y. TEMPORARY or PORTABLE SALES: A person which engages in business within the City that has sales which are transient in nature and maintains no physical location within the City. (Ord. 5704, 2-24-14; Ord. 5866, 12-4-17; Ord. 5894, 11-5-18)
5-5-3 GENERAL BUSINESS LICENSE REGISTRATION:
A. General Business License Registration Required:
1. No person shall engage in business unless such person has submitted a general business license registration and holds a valid City of Renton general business license. The general business license shall not be transferable. If a person maintains more than one place of business within the City a separate general business license registration is required for each, with the following exceptions:
a. Temporary or portable sales which will only be required to submit one registration; and
b. A separate license for landlords, as that term is defined in RMC 4-5-125.C, is not required for each separate rental dwelling unit, as that term is defined in RMC 4-5-125.C; except that property managers who maintain off-site offices shall obtain a separate license for each off-site office.
2. If a person engages in no other activities in or with the City except the following, demonstrated through means satisfactory to the Administrator, it need not register:
a. Acting within the scope of employment as an employee of a duly licensed City business;
b. Owning or acting as lessor or sublessor of real property occupied with one (1) or more rental dwelling units, as that term is defined in RMC 4-5-125.C, and such rental dwelling units are each registered pursuant to RMC 4-5-125; except that a person who employs employees or rents a property meeting the definition of a short term rental, as that term is used in RMC 4-4-055, is not exempt from registration.
c. Activities for which requirement of a business license would violate Washington State or federal law. (Ord. 5913, 2-25-19)
B. General Business License Registration Fee:
1. General Business License Registration Fee Required: The general business license registration fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) shall be due and payable when filing a completed registration form as prescribed by the Administrator. The general business license registration fee may be adjusted from time to time, as published in the current City of Renton Fee Schedule. If a business enterprise’s first date of engaging in business in the City is after July 1, a prorated half year general business license registration fee will be due in the amount of seventy-five dollars ($75).
2. Exemptions: The following are exempt from the general business license registration fee, if demonstrated through means satisfactory to the Administrator:
a. Non-Profit Exemption: A person that can demonstrate that it is exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to 26 U.S. Code Subsections 501(c) or (d), as those subsections may be amended or recodified.
b. Threshold Exemption: A person that can demonstrate that (1) its business has, as applicable to the type of business, an annual value of products, gross proceeds of sales, and gross income in the City equal to or less than two thousand dollars ($2,000), aggregated, and (2) it does not maintain a place of business within the City. This exemption does not apply to a person whose business requires or obtains a regulatory license or specialized permit.
3. Time Within Which to Claim Overpayment of General Business License Registration Fee: If a person makes an overpayment of a general business license registration fee, and, within four (4) years after date of such overpayment, makes application for a refund or credit of the overpayment, its claim shall be allowed and be repaid from the general fund or be applied as a credit to annual renewal fees as approved by the Administrator. (Ord. 5913, 2-25-19)
C. Issuance and Posting of General Business License:
1. All general business licenses shall be issued by the Administrator. The decision to issue or deny a general business license shall be made by the Administrator. The Administrator’s final decision may be appealed in accordance with this Chapter. Any appeals to the Hearing Examiner shall be governed by the rules and procedures prescribed by RMC 4-8-110.
2. The Administrator shall keep a record of all the general business licenses issued by the City of Renton. Each license shall be numbered, and shall show the name, place of business within the City and any other information as the Administrator shall deem necessary.
3. The general business license holder is required to ensure that at all times the license be posted in the place of business within the City for which it is issued, or in the case of a business enterprise with a temporary or portable sales location, be carried on the person of the holder thereof at all times during business hours or while such business is being carried on, and shall be displayed at the request of any interested person or City official or representative.
4. The Administrator is authorized to implement procedures for accepting and processing applications to review the applicant’s compliance or intended compliance with all laws and regulations that relate to the operation of the business. This includes, but is not limited to, compliance or intended compliance with land use, fire, building, or any health and safety regulation related to the operation of the business. Applications may be held and suspended during such review process to investigate the existence of suspected non-compliance. Applicants are required to cooperate with and respond to requests from the City for information during this process and failure to do so cooperate is sufficient grounds for the City to deny the application. Notwithstanding the City’s review or information provided to the City by the applicant, the issuance or renewal of a business license shall not be construed as permission to conduct business in a way that violates any law or regulation. The issuance or renewal of a business license shall not prevent the Administrator from later denying or revoking the license for violations of law nor prevent the City from taking enforcement action to abate, correct, and/or penalize for the violations of law – regardless of whether the Administrator had or should have had information that indicated the business had or intended to violate such laws or regulations at the time a business license was issued or renewed.
D. Expiration and Renewal:
1. Expiration: Unless otherwise established by the Administrator, general business licenses expire on January 31 of the year after issuance and must be renewed by the due date as described in subsection D.2 below.
2. Due Dates: General business license registration fees are due by the last day of January.
3. Renewal Notice: The City may, but is not required, to mail renewal forms, but failure of the person to receive any such form shall not excuse the person from making application for and securing the license required and paying the license fee when and as due.
E. Penalties:
1. Monetary Penalty for Failure to Obtain License: The penalty for failure to obtain a general business license shall not be less than two hundred and fifty dollars ($250.00) or as prescribed in the City of Renton Fee Schedule, plus payment of all license fee amounts that should have been paid for the last four (4) years, as determined by the Administrator, plus a penalty of ten percent (10%) per annum for all amounts owing, plus any accounting, legal or administrative expenses incurred by the City in determining the unreported, or the unpaid portion over the last four (4) years or in collecting the penalty.
2. Monetary Penalty for Failure to Pay License Fee: Failure to pay the license fee when due and payable shall result in a penalty of five percent (5%) of the amount of the license fee for the first month of the delinquency and an additional penalty of five percent (5%) for each succeeding month of delinquency, but not exceeding a total penalty of fifteen percent (15%) of the amount of such license fee.
3. Collection: Any license fee due and unpaid and all penalties under this Chapter may be collected by civil action, which remedy shall be in addition to any and all other existing remedies and penalties.
4. Denial, Suspension or Revocation of General Business License:
a. The Administrator may deny or suspend any license application and/or revoke any license issued pursuant to this Chapter to any person or other license holder who:
i. Is in default in any payment to the City, except for current taxes and other obligations not past due;
ii. Has obtained a license or permit by fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment;
iii. Is or has been convicted of, forfeits bond upon, or pleads guilty to any felony offense directly related to the operation of the applicant’s or license holder’s business;
iv. Makes false statements, misrepresentations or fails to disclose material facts to the City related to any permits or applications;
v. Has operated or intends to operate the business in a way that violates or allows employees, visitors, or patrons to violate federal, state, or municipal law, including but not limited to applicable land use, building, safety, fire, or health regulation on the premises on or in which business is conducted; or
vi. Fails to obtain or maintain a valid state business license or special endorsement for a specific activity.
vii. Fails to cooperate with or provide information to the City upon request during its review of the application.
b. Chronic nuisance premises:
i. In addition to the provisions of RMC 5-5-3.E.4.a, a general business license may be revoked if the commercial, entertainment or retail business enterprise, or the owner(s), person(s) in control, or the managing agent(s) of the business enterprise, permit, suffer, maintain, carry on or allow upon or within two hundred feet (200') of such business activities that meet or exceed the criteria identified in RMC 5-5-2.G (CHRONIC NUISANCE PREMISES). If the person in control is not the legal owner, the person in control and owner are both jointly liable for any chronic nuisance premises. Both the owner and person in control are subject to the provisions and remedies in this Chapter and RMC 1-3-3. Application of either of these chapters against one party does not preclude application to another party who is an owner or person in control of a chronic nuisance premises.
ii. Based on a chronic nuisance premises finding by the Administrator or by a court of competent jurisdiction, the license revocation period shall be as follows:
(a) Ten (10) calendar days for a finding of a chronic nuisance premises as defined in RMC 5-5-2.G.1.a.
(b) Thirty (30) calendar days for a finding of a chronic nuisance premises as defined in RMC 5-5-2.G.1.b.
(c) Ninety (90) calendar days for a finding of a chronic nuisance premises as defined in RMC 5-5-2.G.1.c.
(d) Immediately if the commercial, entertainment or retail business enterprise, or the person(s) in control, or the managing agent(s) of the business enterprise permit, suffer, maintain, carry on or allow upon or within two hundred feet (200') of such business activities which amount to an emergency that a City administrator or law enforcement officer reasonably believes requires immediate action to prevent or eliminate an immediate threat to public health, morals, safety, or welfare of persons or property in the City of Renton.
(e) As the objective of this subsection is to encourage compliance, if the person or persons who are responsible or in control of the place of business within the City abate the condition(s) that created, caused, permitted, allowed, or necessitated the calls for service to the satisfaction of the Administrator in consultation with the City of Renton Police Chief, the remaining period of revocation shall be waived and the license, subject to the payment of all applicable fees, penalties, and costs, shall be reissued.
iii. If any person or persons who are responsible or in control of the place of business within the City create, cause, permit or allow incidents that amount to two (2) or more chronic nuisance premises findings as defined by RMC 5-5-2.G.1.c, the Administrator may suspend that license for one (1) year, without the opportunity to abate, and the Administrator may consider the circumstances and findings in any future application request by any person associated with the offending business enterprise or the person or persons who were responsible or in control of the offending business enterprise.
iv. Any offense that amounts to more than a nuisance, including but not limited to class A or B felonies, may result in revocation that is not limited to RMC 5-5-3.E.4.b.ii, and other penalties and/or punishments consistent with the RMC and/or the RCW.
5. Engaging in Business Without a General Business License: It shall be illegal for any person and/or license holder to fail to obtain or maintain a general business license and yet engage in business within City limits. Each business enterprise, its owner or agent who fails to obtain or maintain a general business license, in addition to the fines/penalties contained in subsections 5-5-3.E.1 or 2, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and subject to the penalties of RMC 1-3-1.
6. Gross Misdemeanor for False Statement or Representation: It shall be a gross misdemeanor under RCW 9A.72.040 (False swearing), as it exists or may be amended, punishable under RMC 1-3-1 for any person including but not limited to the owners, shareholders, partners, or principals, whether for themselves, for others or by others to sign a general business license application, which is required to maintain a general business license, to make any false or fraudulent application or false statement or representation in, or in connection with, any such application.
7. Order to Close Business Enterprise: Any law enforcement officer, code compliance officer, or the Administrator may serve a notice ordering a business enterprise to close and discontinue operation in the City which operates without a valid general business license, or which violates or otherwise fails to comply with any provision of this Chapter. That notice may be served in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice shall indicate the reason(s) that the business enterprise is ordered to close.
8. Appeals:
a. A person shall have the right to appeal an adverse decision made by the Administrator under this Chapter by filing a written notice of appeal with the City Clerk within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the decision, or within thirteen (13) calendar days of mailing of the decision, whichever is later. The written notice of appeal shall provide information asserting why the Administrator’s decision should be reversed or modified.
b. For appeals of all decisions except those asserting an emergency, the Administrator shall review the appeal and enter an order affirming, reversing, or modifying the decision. The order shall be made in writing and a copy provided to the appellant either in person or by mail. The appellant shall have a right to appeal the order to the City’s Hearing Examiner by filing a written notice of appeal with the City Clerk within twenty (20) calendar days of the date of the order. The rules and procedures governing such appeal shall be the rules and procedures prescribed by RMC 4-8-110.
c. For appeals of decisions asserting an emergency, the appeal shall be scheduled for hearing directly with the City’s Hearing Examiner at the earliest possible time after receipt of the appeal. The rules and procedures governing such appeal shall be the rules and procedures prescribed by RMC 4-8-110.
9. Prior to the Administrator issuing or reissuing a general business license all unpaid fees and penalties shall be paid.
F. Rules: The Administrator shall have the authority to adopt, publish and enforce rules and regulations not inconsistent with this Chapter or with the law for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Chapter, and it shall be unlawful for any person to violate or fail to comply with any such rules or regulations. (Ord. 3773, 12-19-83, eff. 1-1-84; Ord. 4105, 12-21-87; Ord. 4333, 11-25-91; Ord. 4335, 12-16-91; Ord. 4351, 5-4-92; amd. Ord. 4723, 5-11-98; Ord. 5021, 10-20-03; Ord. 5166, 11-21-05; Ord. 5402, 7-21-08; Ord. 5547, 8-9-10; Ord. 5654, 2-13-12; Ord. 5679, 12-3-12; Ord. 5704, 2-24-14; Ord. 5735, 11-3-14; Ord. 5767, 9-21-2015; Ord. 5821, 11-21-16; Ord. 5831, 1-23-17; Ord. 5866, 12-4-17; Ord. 5894, 11-5-18; Ord. 6037, 11-22-21)
5-5-4 VIOLATIONS OF RMC 5-28:
1. The Finance Director may deny, suspend, or revoke any license under this chapter for violation of this ordinance1.
2. The Finance Director must deny, suspend, or revoke any license under this chapter for repeated intentional violations of this ordinance1.
3. Any action by the Finance Director under this section shall be subject to the procedures and requirements of RMC subsection 5-5-3.E, as well as other due process rights that a court may require.
(See RMC 5-28 for the rest of the text for this ordinance1.) (Initiative Measure 23-02, approved by voters at the 2/13/24 election, certified 2/23/24)
(1 “This ordinance” references Initiative Measure 23-02, as approved by voters and certified by King County Elections on February 23, 2024)
5-5-5 REQUIREMENTS FOR GENERAL BUSINESS LICENSE REGISTRATIONS WITHIN AN AQUIFER PROTECTION AREA:
All applications for general business licenses within a designated Aquifer Protection Area (Zones 1 and 2) shall include a hazardous materials inventory statement as defined in RMC 4-11-080, Definitions H, if hazardous materials, also defined in RMC 4-11-080, Definitions H, will be stored, handled, treated, used, or produced on site. The Water Utility shall review the hazardous materials inventory statement prior to issuance of the general business license. An aquifer protection area operating permit shall be obtained by the applicant prior to issuance of the general business license if more than the de minimis amount of hazardous materials as defined in RMC 4-3-050.G.8.c.i(b), Activities Exempt From Specified Wellhead Protection Area Requirements, will be present on site. A business enterprise that is required to obtain an operating permit and operates without one shall be in violation of RMC 4-3-050.C.1, Permit Required. (Ord. 4367, 9-14-92; amd. Ord. 4740, 9-14-98; Ord. 4851, 8-7-00; Ord. 5894, 11-5-18)
5-5-6 CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION:
General business license applications made to the Administrator pursuant to this Chapter shall be public information subject to inspection by all persons except to the extent exempt from disclosure under applicable law. The current provisions of RCW 82.32.330 (Disclosure of return or tax information), as it exists or may be amended, are adopted by reference. (Ord. 4378, 11-16-92; Ord. 5704, 2-24-14; Ord. 5894, 11-5-18)
5-5-7 REFUND OF LICENSE FEE:
A. Revocation: Upon revocation, suspension, or denial of any license as provided in this chapter, no portion of the license fee shall be returned to the licensee.
B. License Application Withdrawn: Upon a licensee’s request to withdraw their initial application, the fee paid shall be returned to the applicant by the City, together with notice that the application has been withdrawn; provided that, no refund shall be made where the applicant has engaged in the business activity for which the license was intended, or where inspection has been performed by any City department to review said license application.
C. Overpayment: If, upon request by a licensee for a refund, and if it is determined by the Administrator that a fee has been paid in excess of that properly due, the excess amount paid shall be credited to the licensee’s account or shall be refunded to the licensee; however, no refund or credit shall be allowed for any payment made more than four (4) years before the date of such request. (Ord. 5940, 11-18-19)