Chapter 3.41
REGISTRATION OF TRANSIENTS AT HOTELS AND MOTELS

Sections:

3.41.010    Purpose.

3.41.020    Definitions.

3.41.030    Regulations.

3.41.040    Administration.

3.41.050    Frequency of rental.

3.41.060    Violations.

3.41.010 Purpose.

The City Council finds and determines that it is important for the safety of visitors to our community and to control vice, disturbance, and narcotics offenses to require transient residents of hotels and motels to furnish identification at the time of registration and for operators to have evidence of identification available for reasonable inspection by a peace officer. The City Council further finds that furnishing identification at the time of registration does not impede hotel or motel business and is not overly invasive to patron privacy. (Ord. 2794 § 1, 1999).

3.41.020 Definitions.

The terms “operator,” “transient” and “hotel” are defined in CVMC 3.40.020. (Ord. 2794 § 1, 1999).

3.41.030 Regulations.

A. Every transient shall furnish to an operator of a hotel satisfactory identification as a part of the registration process for the hire of lodgings at that hotel by the transient.

B. Satisfactory identification for legal residents of the United States shall consist of one of the following: a valid driver’s license issued by the transient’s state; a federal or state government or military identification card; a passport; or any other form of valid governmental identification on which the transient’s photograph appears. For persons legally residing outside of the United States, valid governmental identification shall include an official passport, U.S. visa, INS alien registration card, INS border crossing card, or a valid driver’s license issued from the non-U.S. resident’s nation of origin.

C. The operator of the hotel shall maintain a record of the following identification produced by the transient. The record shall include the name of transient, current address, ID number and state or country of issue and date of birth. Irrespective of method of payment, the hotel operator shall comply with subsection (A) of this section.

D. An operator shall notify any transient who fails or refuses to provide proper identification or refuses to identify occupants to any operator that a room will not be rented.

E. The duties imposed on an operator by this chapter shall not be interpreted or applied so as to violate or cause the violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (PL 101-336). (Ord. 3165 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2794 § 1, 1999).

3.41.040 Administration.

Operator may post a notice advising transients that a transient is liable for any room charges or damage to the room during the term of hire, whether caused by the transient or other authorized occupant, or both, until the room is vacated by the transient and all authorized occupants and keys are returned to the operator. The notice may also provide that the transient may be held liable for charges or damage caused by an occupant who was not identified by the transient but occupied the room with the transient’s permission. (Ord. 2794 § 1, 1999).

3.41.050 Frequency of rental.

The operator shall not rent any room more than two times during any 24-hour period, beginning at 12:00 noon and ending at 12:00 noon the following day. (Ord. 2794 § 1, 1999).

3.41.060 Violations.

It is unlawful for an operator of a hotel to fail to require a transient to provide photo identification; to fail to retain the information required by CVMC 3.41.030(B); or to refuse to provide such information to a police officer conducting an investigation; provided, however, that any duty required under CVMC 3.41.030(C) terminates on and after the sixty-first day following the date the transient vacates the lodging.

It is unlawful for any operator to rent the same room, or to rent to the same transient, more than two times during any 24-hour period, beginning at the time of check-in. (Ord. 2794 § 1, 1999).