Chapter 7.12
AMUSEMENT DEVICES

Sections:

7.12.010    Definitions.

7.12.020    License fees.

7.12.021    Thirty-day consecutive or nonconsecutive license.

7.12.025    License fees—Penalties for nonpayment.

7.12.030    License—Fees a civil debt.

7.12.040    Disposition of moneys collected.

7.12.050    Terms and rates of licenses.

7.12.060    Repealed.

7.12.010 Definitions.

(a)    “Amusement device” means any machine, table, board, or other device designed to be operated or played upon the payment by insertion or otherwise of cash or other valuable consideration and includes but is not limited to iron claw machines, cranes, shuffleboards, miniature bowling machines, pool, bumper pool or billiard tables, and other devices of like kind, including pinball machines, flipper machines and video games except those that may now or hereafter be deemed “gambling devices” pursuant to Chapter 9.46 RCW.

(b)    “Cigarette vending machines” means any automatic vending machines used for the sale of cigarettes and matches and controlled by the insertion of money. It does not include machines or devices used solely for the vending of services, food or confections.

(c)    “Distributor” means any person, firm or corporation who leases, rents to, or places with others for operation, any amusement device, juke box, record player or vending machine as herein defined.

(d)    “Juke box” or “record player” means any machine or instrument designed to be operated or played upon the payment by insertion or otherwise of cash or other valuable consideration and used for the reproduction of music, and shall include all other devices of like kind, nature or purpose and apply wherever the public makes the selection of music to be played.

(e)    “Operator” means any person, firm or corporation who possesses or exhibits for use, play or operation any amusement device, vending machine or record player not owned by such person, firm or corporation.

(f)    “Owner and operator” means any person, firm or corporation who possesses or exhibits for use, play or operation any amusement device, vending machine or record player owned by such person, firm or corporation. (Ord. 4294 § 1, 2011: Ord. 2550 § 1, 1980; Ord. 2138 § 1, 1980; Ord. 765 §§ 1 — 6, 1959)

7.12.020 License fees.

The licenses and respective fees provided for in this chapter are all in addition to any business license and business license fees that may be required under Chapter 7.02.

(a)    Amusement Devices. Any distributor, owner or operator of an amusement device shall pay a license fee of fifty dollars per machine per year, payable annually in advance to the director of finance and administration.

(b)    Every distributor, owner or operator of cigarette vending machines doing business as such within the city shall pay an annual license fee in the sum of fifty dollars for a master license payable annually in advance to the director of finance and administration. Also, any distributor, owner, operator or user of such cigarette vending machines shall pay an additional sum of ten dollars per machine per year, payable annually in advance to the director of finance and administration.

It is further required that each cigarette vending machine in the city shall be equipped with an electric lock or device to be operated by the owner and/or employees only.

(c)    Juke Box or Record Player.

(1)    Every “distributor” (as defined in Section 7.12.010(c)) shall pay to the city an annual master license fee of one hundred dollars per year payable in advance;

(2)    Every “operator” (as defined in Section 7.12.010(e)) shall pay to the city an annual machine license fee of twenty-five dollars per machine per year payable in advance;

(3)    Every “owner and operator” (as defined in Section 7.12.010(f)) shall pay to the city an annual machine license fee of twenty-five dollars per year, in advance. (Ord. 4658 § 14, 2018: Ord. 4416 § 41, 2013; Ord. 4294 § 2, 2011: Ord. 3723 § 1, 1999; Ord. 3573 § 53, 1997; Ord. 2648 § 1, 1982: Ord. 2586 § 1, 1981: Ord. 2058 § 1, 1969: Ord. 776 § 1, 1959: Ord. 765 § 7, 1959)

7.12.021 Thirty-day consecutive or nonconsecutive license.

Any person required to obtain an annual license pursuant to Section 7.12.020 and who is also subject to the provisions of Section 7.22.010 may obtain, in lieu of the Section 7.12.020 annual license, a thirty-day consecutive or nonconsecutive license. The fee for such thirty-day license shall be twenty-five percent of the applicable annual license fee. (Ord. 2659 § 3, 1982)

7.12.025 License fees—Penalties for nonpayment.

It is unlawful to fail to timely pay any license fee required by application of this chapter, and such failure is subject to the penalties as set forth in Chapter 1.04 of this code. For purposes of this section, each calendar month, or portion thereof, in which a license fee is not paid, when it is otherwise required, is deemed a separate offense. (Ord. 2550 § 2, 1980)

7.12.030 License—Fees a civil debt.

(a)    The license fees provided herein shall be civil debt to the city owed by the person liable under the provisions of this chapter and may be enforced by civil action in addition to the other remedies provided herein.

(b)    In the event the city is successful in proceeding under this section, then the city is entitled to recover from the responsible person such additional amounts as are necessary to reimburse the city for identifiable costs of collection, including attorney’s fees. (Ord. 2550 § 3, 1980: Ord. 765 § 15, 1959)

7.12.040 Disposition of moneys collected.

All moneys derived from the enforcement of this chapter shall be placed in the current expense fund of the city. (Ord. 765 § 18, 1959)

7.12.050 Terms and rates of licenses.

Licenses and fees required under this chapter shall be applied for with, and issued directly by, the director of finance and administration, as a regulatory process separate from the city business license that is handled through the Business Licensing Service. In the event an applicant for a license under this chapter already has a city business license, the initial term of the license under this chapter shall expire at the same time as the business license expires, as established by the Business Licensing Service. (Ord. 4658 § 15, 2018: Ord. 4491 § 10 (part), 2015; Ord. 4294 § 3, 2011)

7.12.060 Licensing information.

Repealed by Ord. 4294. (Ord. 2138 § 3, 1970)