The following permits are issued in conjunction with the City of Santa Barbara's Municipal Codes. Please refer to those codes associated with the permit for further information. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Finance Department staff for assistance (805) 564-5346.
The City of Santa Barbara's Tobacco License is issued in conjunction with the establishments Business License. There is an Annual flat $30.00 (US) fee for this Tobacco License. For further information see Municipal Code 9.20, 9.21.
(See definition of each in SB Municipal Code Chapter 5.20.010 [H,I,J]).
Be sure to read through the application pages, incomplete or missing applications cannot be processed. Present all documents with payment to Santa Barbara Police Station located at 215 Figueroa St. Dance Permits must be paid by check only. The Police Technician's office is not equipped to accept credit cards.
The time it takes to complete a dance permit application is variable and dependent upon many factors, including the time frame for outside agencies to forward pertinent information to the Santa Barbara Police Department. In general, applicants should expect the entire process to take a minimum of 90 days. Livescan (fingerprinting) is required of all applicants. Expect the Livescan appointment to be scheduled for approximately two weeks from the date the application is submitted. Livescan appointments will not be scheduled until the complete application has been submitted along with full payment.
Dance permits are valid for a maximum of one year from the date of issuance. Dance permits may not be transferred.
All persons conducting door-to-door solicitation in the City of Santa Barbara, whether you are located inside or outside the City, are required to obtain a City of Santa Barbara Business License Tax Certificate and apply for a Solicitor/ Peddler permit.
Restrictions listed in the Municipal Code and on the Permit:
Background checks are required. Once the application packet and the $52.00 process fee are received in the Business License Tax Office, you will be required to visit the Santa Barbara Police to provide fingerprints for a statewide records check. Call (805) 897-2300 to set up your Live Scan appointment.
Once the application has been approve by the Police Department, the Finance Department will contact the applicant to pick up their permit card.
For the most part, door-to-door solicitors are legitimate business people that understand the difficulty of selling door-to-door.
We encourage our residents to ask for the city business license and police approved permit-photo identification. Please have them readily available when soliciting.
We also encourage our citizens to call the police if they are made to feel uncomfortable or the solicitor cannot show that they have complied with Santa Barbara's laws regarding solicitors. A Police Officer will respond promptly to complaints and ensure solicitors are adhering to City's regulations.
Most of the following permits will have to be processed over the counter. Please come to the Cashier's office, located at 735 Anacapa St. in the City Hall Building, for further information and documentations. Or contact us directly at (805) 564-5346.