Cabaret License in Detroit?

I can't speak about Detroit, but a lot of states require dancers to have a business license. It sounds as if this is the same thing. If so, the fee is even lower than I've heard of in some states. Here in Washington state, fees are over $200. for a business license. I don't know if business licenses show up on background checks.

In Atlanta they are $300 and you have to pass a back ground check to get one.

that's ridiculous. The Detroit dancer cards say something like Sexual Employee License or something on it. I know they are also known as Class J licenses, too. A bouncer at a club showed me his and it has his ID, real name, and even his birth date on it.

Also, in Detroit, I am asked to do a traffic violation clearance for unpaid tickets and a felony clearance. Those are the two requirements to get a card.

Detroit Municipal Code

SEC. 5-4-6. SAME- ENTERTAINER’S IDENTIFICATION CARDS
GENERALLY.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any licensee of any group D cabaret, his agent or employee to
employ any person as a dancer or entertainer unless such person possesses a valid
group D entertainer’s identification card from the city police department. (b) It shall
be unlawful for any person to provide his or her services as a dancer or entertainer in
a group D cabaret unless such person possesses at the place of employment a valid
group D entertainer’s identification card issued by the city police department.
(c) The city police department shall issue or renew a group D cabaret entertainer’s
identification card to an applicant after having completed a criminal record check of
the city police department’s record bureau upon receipt of a fee, as determined by the
chief of the police department and director of consumer affairs department provided,
that the chief of police may issue a temporary or probationary card pending the
determination of the applicant’s eligibility for a permanent identification card. A
record of conviction for an offense involving gambling, narcotics, prostitution,
pandering or pornography, or a violation of any provision of this article, within the
preceding two (2) years, shall constitute grounds for refusal to issue or renew an
entertainer’s identification card. The entertainer’s identification card shall be renewed
annually. Such identification card shall remain the property of the city police
department and shall be surrendered on demand upon proof being submitted to the
city police department of any violation of any of the conditions of issuance. (Code
1964, Sec. 5-4-7.4; Ord. 320-H)

@ SuperDude: Thanks for the legal research. That language sounds like just about any city's code requirements for dancers. There's nothing unusual there that I read.

I know one dancer here in Seattle, that got too many dance violations (extras) and couldn't get a license in another city next to Seattle because of her prior record. (The club she inquired at also wouldn't hire her, because they found her phone number in the then adult section of Craigslist.)

Sucks - wb concerned about future bg cks on non sc industry jobs and what that employer would think of sc bg.

For dancer related questions – you may want to check out, and post your question on, stripperweb.com (in case you are not familiar w/ that website). stripperweb.com is a site for dancers whereas this site is made up mostly of customers.

Good luck to ya.