It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of a peddler, solicitor, transient merchant, or concessionaire within the limits of the city, except as provided at subsections (1) through (5) of this section, without first having obtained a license issued by the city clerk.
(1) Any person engaged in the retail sale of goods, wares, merchandise or services at a permanent location in the city and subject to the city's ad valorem real or personal property taxes shall not be required to obtain a license to sell as a transient merchant at any other location within the city, but shall be required to comply with every other provision of this article regulating such activity. Any person engaged as a peddler, solicitor or concessionaire for a locally established business shall be required to obtain a license.
(2) Those persons currently licensed as transient merchants by the county treasurer pursuant to Public Act No. 51 of 1925 (MCL 445.371 et seq.) or veterans licensed by the county clerk pursuant to 1921 PA 359 (MCL 35.442).
(3) Any person having credentials representing any recognized religious or charitable organization which has been granted a current license by the state's attorney general under the provisions of Public Act No. 169 of 1975 (MCL 400.271 et seq.).
(4) Those persons having credentials representing any locally established religious organization, community service organization, or school which state that the entire proceeds of sale shall be paid over to the religious organization, community service organization, or school, or representing any newspaper of general circulation.
(5) A person selling at an art fair, exposition, festival, race or similar event at the invitation of the event's sponsor if all of the following conditions are met:
a. The sponsor is a governmental entity or local nonprofit organization.
b. The art fair, exposition, festival, race or similar event has been approved by the city council.
(Ord. No. 51-A-96, § 3, 2-5-1996)
State Law References: Exemption for certain veterans, MCL 35.441 et seq.