(A) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to post bills, erect or maintain signs, posters, or placards, or distribute bills, hand bills, advertising matter or samples within the corporate limits of the city for the purpose of advertising or calling the attention of the amusement, exhibition or enterprise, or for the purpose of securing publicity for any scheme or project of any kind or nature whatsoever, without first procuring a license as provided for in division (B) below; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to advertisement of any kind or character by any religious, school, civic, fraternal or charitable or local athletic organization advertising to promote its own interest, nor to the distribution of samples or advertising matter by any person, firm or corporation or agent of the person, firm or corporation permanently engaged in business in the city, for the purpose of advertising the business or occupation of the person, firm or corporation, provided that each of the samples or pieces of advertising matter so to be distributed shall bear an imprint of the name of the person, firm or corporation.
(B) A general bill poster license shall be issued to any person, firm or corporation applying at and for the sum of $25 per year, which license shall entitle the holder, during the term of the year, to post bills, erect and maintain signs, posters and placards, and distribute bills, hand bills, advertising matter and samples for the purpose of advertising and calling the attention of the public to any lawful article of commerce, brand of goods, show entertainment, amusement, exhibition or enterprise, or for the purpose of securing publicity for any lawful scheme or project of any kind or nature whatsoever, for him or herself and for any and all other persons, firms or corporations who may employ the licensee for the purpose or purposes; provided, however, that the doing of any and all work in connection with the advertising service shall be performed by the licensee or his or her immediate employees, and shall not be held to permit of the transfer or assignment, directly or indirectly, of any right under the license to any other person, firm or corporation not regularly employed by him or her.
(C) Any person, firm or corporation desiring to distribute samples of advertising matter within the corporate limits of the city, and not desiring a general bill poster license as provided, shall be entitled to secure a special distributing license for the distribution of samples, hand bills and other advertising matter by the payment of the sum of $3 for the first 1,000 units of advertising matter so to be distributed and the further sum of $1 for each additional 1,000 units of advertising matter so to be distributed. The special distributing license shall be issued for a period of not more than three days from the date of issue, and the word UNIT as used, shall be construed to mean any sample together with all advertising matter relating, or all advertising matter relating to any one article, business or event which shall be distributed simultaneously to each prospective customer. All licenses herein provided for shall be issued by the City Clerk-Treasurer.
(D) Any person, firm or corporation, who shall procure from the Clerk-Treasurer a license for any show, entertainment, exhibition, carnival, street fair or circus, and who shall have paid the license fee provided for the right to conduct the same, shall be exempt from the provisions of division (C) above, and the license fee so paid by the person, firm or corporation shall be held to include the right to advertise the same.
(`81 Code, § 3-1) (Ord. 209, passed 10-9-1928) Penalty, see § 10.99