Denial, revocation of, or refusal to renew business license tax certificate
Seattle Mun. Code § 5.55.230
in effect5.55.230 - Denial, revocation of, or refusal to renew business license tax certificate
A. The Director, or the Director's designee, has the power and authority to deny, revoke, or refuse to renew any business license tax certificate issued under the provisions of this Chapter 5.55. The Director, or the Director's designee, shall notify such applicant or licensee in writing by mail in accordance with Section 5.55.180 of the denial of, revocation of, or refusal to renew the license and on what grounds such a decision was based. The Director may deny, revoke, or refuse to renew any business license tax certificate or other license issued under this Chapter 5.55 on one or more of the following grounds:
1. The license was procured by fraud or false representation of fact.
2. The licensee has failed to comply with any provisions of this Chapter 5.55.
3. The licensee has failed to comply with any provisions of Chapters 5.35, 5.37, 5.38, 5.39, 5.40, 5.45, 5.46, 5.48, 5.50, 5.52, or 5.53.
4. The licensee is in default in any payment of any license fee or tax under Title 5 or Title 6.
B. Within 30 days from the date that the notice of denial, revocation, or refusal to renew notice was mailed to the applicant or licensee, the applicant or licensee may appeal such refusal to issue, revocation or refusal to renew by filing a written notice of appeal ("petition") setting forth the grounds therefor with the Office of the Hearing Examiner. The applicant or licensee must provide a copy of the petition to the Director and the City Attorney on or before the date the petition is filed with the Hearing Examiner. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures for hearing contested cases in Chapter 3.02. The Director or the Director's designee shall have the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that grounds for denying, suspending, or revoking a license existed. The Hearing Examiner shall set a date for hearing said appeal and notify the licensee of the time and place of the hearing. After the hearing thereon the Hearing Examiner shall, after making appropriate findings of fact and conclusions of law, affirm, modify, or overrule the denial, revocation or refusal to renew, and issue or reinstate the license. The Hearing Examiner may impose any terms upon the issuance or continuance of the license that may be advisable. No denial, revocation of, or refusal to renew a license issued pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter 5.55 shall take effect until 30 days after the mailing of the notice thereof by the Director, and if appeal is taken as herein prescribed, the refusal to issue, revocation or refusal to renew shall be stayed pending final action by the Hearing Examiner. All licenses that are revoked or refused to be renewed by the Director shall be surrendered to the City on the effective date of such revocation or refusal to renew. No business license tax certificate shall be renewed and no new business license tax certificate shall be issued to the licensee or to any person (as defined by Section 5.30.305) in which the licensee is a principal for a period of one year where the license has been revoked or not renewed by a decision of the Director pursuant to this Section 5.55.230. The decision of the Hearing Examiner shall be final. The licensee and/or the Director may seek review of the decision of the Hearing Examiner in the Superior Court of Washington in and for King County within 14 days from the date of the decision.
C. Upon revocation of any license no portion of the license fee shall be returned to the licensee.
D. The period of denial, revocation or non-renewal for grounds stated in subsection 5.55.230.A.1 shall be at least one year, and the licensee or any person (as defined in Section 5.30.305) that is or was a principal of the licensee shall not be re-licensed during such period.
E. The period of denial, revocation or non-renewal for grounds stated in subsections 5.55.230.A.2, 5.55.230.A.3, and 5.55.230.A.4 shall last until the violation or default is cured. If the violation cannot be cured, the period of non-issuance, revocation, or non-renewal shall last until the end of the license period in which the non-issuance, revocation, or non-renewal occurred.
(Ord. I-137, § 10, 2025; Ord. 126880, § 12, 2023; Ord. 126108, § 10, 2020; Ord. 125971, § 10, 2019; Ord. 125324, § 15, 2017; Ord. 124963, § 4, 2015; Ord. 124960, § 89, 2015; Ord. 124833, § 10, 2015; Ord. 124808, § 11, 2015; Ord. 124645, § 2, 2014; Ord. 123899, § 4, 2012; Ord. 123596, § 1, 2011; Ord. 123188, § 2, 2009; Ord. 123152, § 2, 2009; Ord. 122564, § 10, 2008; Ord. 122192, § 9, 2006; Ord. 22191, § 9, 2006; Ord. 120794, § 126, 2002; Ord. 120668, § 4, 2001.)
Source: City of Seattle, Seattle Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT5REFITA_SUBTITLE_IITA_CH5.55GEADPR_5.55.230DEREREREBULITACEFetched: 11/1/2026