Sec. 5-156. Licensing

It shall be unlawful for any person to charge any price of admission or to extract a fee for any act done or information or advice given or service rendered of any kind or character in regard to fortunetelling and similar practices as heretofore defined; or, to advertise or hold themselves out as being proficient in or being engaged in such occupation, calling, profession, business, trade, art, craft, or device for public or private patronage unless and until a license is obtained from the Director or his designee.

Nothing herein, however, shall be construed to include, interfere with, prohibit, regulate, or subject to licensure the exercise of any religious or spiritual function of any priest, minister, rector or accredited representative of any bona fide church or religion where such priest, minister, rector or accredited representative holds a certificate of credit, commission or ordination under the ecclesiastical laws of a religious corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland or any other state or territory of the United States of America, or any voluntary religious association, and who fully conforms to the rites and practices prescribed by the supreme conference, convocation, convention, assembly, association or synod of the system or faith with which they are affiliated, provided, however, that any church or religious organization which is organized for the primary purpose of conferring certificates of commission, credit or ordination for a fee or price and not primarily for the practice of teaching and practicing a religious doctrine or belief, shall not be deemed to be a bona fide church or religious organization.

Any psychologist as heretofore defined who is a certified psychologist shall be exempted from all provisions of this Section.

The total number of licenses that may be currently outstanding shall not exceed one (1) for each eighty thousand (80,000) residents as reported in the latest U.S. Decennial Census and not more than two (2) licenses may be issued to members of the same family. Families for the purposes of this Section shall be defined as husband, wife, mother, father, brother, sister, son, and daughter. This Act shall not be construed to revoke or prevent renewal of a license where more than two (2) have been issued to members of any family on or prior to the effective date of this Act. However, no additional licenses shall be issued to members of said family until the number of licenses issued is less than two (2).

After January 1, 1983, a license shall not be issued for any location within a municipality which has an ordinance in effect prohibiting fortunetelling. This Subsection shall not apply to the renewal of any license within such municipality in effect as of the date of the passage of this Act.