Every person engaging or about to engage in business as an operator of a hotel in the city shall register with the Tax Collector on a form provided by him or her. Persons engaged in such business must so register not later than January 1, 1965, or within 30 days after commencing business whichever is later, but the privilege of registration after the date of imposition of the tax shall not relieve any person from the obligation of collection and payment of tax on and after the date of imposition thereof, regardless of registration. The registration form shall set forth the name under which the person transact or intends to transact business, the location of his or her place or places of business and such other information to facilitate the collection of the tax as the Tax Collector may require. The registration form shall be signed by the owner if a natural person, by a member or partner in case of an association or partnership, and by an executive officer or some person specifically authorized by the corporation to sign the registration form in the case of a corporation. The Tax Collector shall, within ten days after receiving the registration form, issue without charge a certificate of authority to each registrant to collect the tax from transients, together with a duplicate thereof for each additional place of business of the registrant. The certificates shall be nonassignable and nontransferable and shall be surrendered immediately to the Tax Collector upon the cessation of business at the location named or upon sale or transfer of the hotel. Each certificate shall be prominently displayed in the hotel so as to be seen and come to the notice readily of all occupants and persons seeking occupancy. The certificate shall contain the following information:
(A) The name of the operator;
(B) The address of the hotel;
(C) The date upon which the certificate was issued;
(D) The following statement: “This Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate signifies that the person named on the face hereof has fulfilled the requirements of the Transient Occupancy Tax Law of the City by registering with the Tax Collector for the purpose of collecting from transients the Transient Occupancy Tax and remitting said tax to the Tax Collector. This certificate does not authorize any person to conduct any unlawful business or to conduct any lawful business in an unlawful manner, nor to operate a hotel without strictly complying with all local applicable laws, including but not limited to those requiring a permit from any board, commission, department or office of this City. This certificate does not constitute a permit.”
(E) Such additional information as may be required by the Tax Collector.
(1995 Code, § 5.68.060)