The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to or affect the following persons.
(A) Any person solely by reason of the fact that he or she is engaged in the business of entertaining the public by demonstrations of mind reading, mental telepathy, thought conveyance or the giving of horoscopic readings at public places and in the presence of and within the hearing of other persons and at which no questions are answered, as part of such entertainment, except in a manner to permit all persons present at such public place to hear such answers, when not conducted in connection with the business of fortunetelling. Nothing in this section, however, exempts any person from the payment of the applicable business license fee, if any, required to be paid by the licensing provisions of this code.
(B) No person shall be required to pay any fee or take out any permit for conducting or participating in any religious ceremony or service when such person holds a certificate of ordination as a minister, missionary, medium, healer or clairvoyant from any bona fide church or religious association maintaining a church and holding regular services and having a creed or set of religious principles that is recognized by all churches of like faith; provided, further, that the fees, gratuities, emoluments and profits thereof shall be regularly accounted for and paid solely to or for the benefit of the church or religious association; provided, further, that such person holding a certificate of ordination from such bona fide church or religious association, as set forth in this section, shall, before practicing such activity specified in this chapter, file with the Chief of Police a certified copy of his or her certificate of ordination, with his or her name, age and street address in this city where he or she intends to carry on such activity. The bona fide church or religious association as defined in this chapter may, however, pay to its ministers, missionaries, mediums or workers a salary or compensation based upon a percentage basis; provided, that the agreement between the church and the minister, missionary, medium or worker is embodied in a resolution and transcribed in the minutes of such church or religious association.
(C) No person shall be required to pay any fee or take out any permit for carrying on the practice of reading tea leaves in any bona fide, regularly established restaurant for the purpose of amusement to the patrons of the restaurant where no charge for the readings is made.
(`78 Code, § 5.18.190.) (Ord. 2347 § 29, 1998; Ord. 2315 § 1 (part), 1997.)