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A. An applicant for an escort bureau license shall file an application with the City Clerk accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee.

B. The application shall contain the following information about the applicant, any person financially interested in the activity to be licensed, any authorized local agents, the designated agent, and any manager of the business:

1. The full legal name, business trade names or styles, business phone number, legal form of applicant, current residential phone number, and current residential or legal address.

2. Each residence and business address for the five-year period immediately preceding the date of filing of the application and the inclusive dates of each such address.

3. Written proof in the form of a current driver’s license with picture, or other current picture identification document issued by a governmental agency, that the individual has reached the age of eighteen years.

4. Height, weight, color of eyes and hair and date of birth.

5. One digital photograph taken by the city at the time of application.

6. The business, occupation or employment history for the five-year period immediately preceding the date of the filing of the application.

7. Information as to whether such individual or business has ever been refused any similar license or permit or has had any similar license or permit issued to such individual or business in Phoenix or elsewhere revoked or suspended, and the reason or reasons therefor.

8. All prior criminal convictions, excepting minor traffic offenses, and warrants issued for the arrest of the applicant.

9. Fingerprints.

10. If the applicant is a person other than an individual, the applicant shall designate one of its officers, members or partners to act as its designated agent. The designated agent shall complete and sign all application forms required of an applicant under this ordinance.

11. A description of any service to be provided together with a declaration that the services to be provided shall not involve those of a sexually oriented escort or escort bureau.

12. The name, identification card number and all other names under which the escort is providing services for the escort bureau for each person employed as an escort.

13. All telephone numbers that the escort bureau is using or under which the escort bureau is doing business or advertising.

14. All business names, trade names or fictitious names under which the escort bureau is doing business or advertising.

C. The City Clerk shall have a reasonable period of time in which to investigate the application and background of the applicant and process the application through various City departments.

D. The City Clerk shall grant the license upon the following circumstances:

1. The required fees have been paid.

2. The application conforms in all respects to the provisions of this Article.

3. The applicant has not made a material misrepresentation of fact in the application.

4. That neither the applicant, if an individual, nor any person financially interested if a corporation, nor any of the partners, including limited partners, nor the holder of any profit interest, nor the manager or other person principally in charge of the operation of the existing or proposed escort bureau, nor the designated agent, nor any individual employed or contracted with to be an escort or to provide escort services has been convicted of, pleaded nolo contendere to or guilty to any felony, or to a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, within five years prior to the issuance of the license. This section shall be inapplicable to an individual whose civil rights have been restored in accordance with law, unless the conviction involves a criminal violation of this Article.

5. The applicant has not had a license similar to the one issued pursuant to the provisions of this Article issued by another authority, suspended or revoked within the five-year period immediately preceding the date of the filing of the application.

6. The escort bureau is in compliance with all applicable laws of the City of Phoenix, County and State.

7. The applicant, manager, designated agent, or other person principally in charge of the operation of the business is at least eighteen years of age.

8. The applicant has not had a license issued pursuant to this Article suspended or revoked within the five-year period immediately preceding the date of filing of the application.

E. The City Clerk shall deny the license application if all of the requirements set forth in subsections D(1) through (8) of this Section have not been met. In the event of denial, the applicant shall be notified by certified mail or hand-delivery of the denial and the reasons therefor. Service by mail shall be complete five calendar days after mailing. The applicant may appeal such denial to the License Appeal Board pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 19 of the Phoenix City Code.

F. The City Clerk may require each applicant, any person financially interested in the activity to be licensed, any authorized local agents, the designated agent, and any manager of the business to furnish a full set of fingerprints to enable the City Clerk to conduct a criminal background investigation. The City Clerk shall submit the person’s completed fingerprint card to the Department of Public Safety. The person shall bear the cost of obtaining the person’s criminal history record information. The cost shall not exceed the actual cost of obtaining the person’s criminal history record information. Criminal history records checks shall be conducted pursuant to Section 41-1750, Arizona Revised Statutes, and Public Law 92-544. The Department of Public Safety is authorized to exchange the person’s submitted fingerprint card information with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a National Criminal History Records Check. (Ord. No. G-2941, § 1; Ord. No. G-3216, § 1; Ord. No. G-3683, § 27; Ord. No. G-3891, §§ 2, 3; Ord. No. G-4543, § 6, 2003; Ord. No. G-5035, § 6, 2007)