Any person conducting or operating any place for lodging for transient guests shall, on a form prescribed by the Director of Finance, make application to and procure from the Director a certificate of registration, the fee for which shall be five dollars ($5.00), which certificate shall continue to be valid until December 31 of the year in which the same is issued. Such certificate of registration, or duplicate original copies thereof, to be issued by the Director without additional charge, shall be posted in a conspicuous place in each guest registration lobby.