ESCORTS AND ESCORT BUREAUS

Tucson Code ch. 7, art. VI

in effect

Tucson Code § 7-117 Definitions.

Sec. 7-117. Definitions. The following words and phrases, whenever used in this article, shall be constructed as defined in this section unless in context it appears that a different meaning is intended: (1) Escort means a person who for pecuniary compensation or any consideration accompanies others to, from or about social affairs, entertainments, place of public assembly or places of amusement, or who agrees to or does consort socially with others for hire or reward to, in or about any place of public or private resort or any private quarters or business premises. (2) Escort bureau means any business or agency which for pecuniary compensation or any consideration furnishes or offers to furnish escorts or introduction service. (3) Introduction service means a service offered or performed for any pecuniary compensation or any consideration, the principal purpose of which is to aid individuals to become socially acquainted, or which service is generally known by the offering or performing party to be used by the recipient thereof for the purpose of obtaining information about others to be used for social purposes. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4-3-78)

Tucson Code § 7-118 Licensing of escorts and escort bureaus required; unlawful acts.

Sec. 7-118. Licensing of escorts and escort bureaus required; unlawful acts. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person, selfemployed or employed by another, to act as an escort without first obtaining and maintaining in effect an escort license as provided by this article. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person, association, partnership, firm or corporation to furnish or offer to furnish escorts or introduction service, or to conduct business as an escort bureau, or to manage an escort bureau, without first obtaining and maintaining in effect an escort bureau license as provided by this article. (c) It shall be unlawful for any person or other entity doing business as an escort bureau to employ as an escort any person who does not have a current and unrevoked escort license as provided by this article. (d) It shall be unlawful for any person or entity licensed as provided by this article to act as an escort, or furnish or offer to furnish escorts or introduction service, or manage or conduct business as an escort bureau under any name not specified in such license. (e) It shall be unlawful for any person, association, partnership, firm or corporation to operate an escort bureau on the same premises whereon is located a cocktail lounge, bar or tavern, photography studio, telephone answering service, theater, bookstore, martial arts studio, physical culture, studio, public bath, motel, hotel, or massage parlor, or for any person to solicit business as an escort while in or on such business premises. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4-3-78)

Tucson Code § 7-119 License application--Required; fee.

Sec. 7-119. License application--Required; fee. (a) Any person, association, firm, partnership or corporation desiring to obtain an escort bureau license, and any person desiring to obtain an escort license, shall apply to the city director of finance, who shall refer each application to the chief of police for appropriate investigation. A person desiring licenses authorizing activity as both an escort and escort bureau shall submit separate applications. (b) Each application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee of three hundred dollars ($300.00) and the bond required by this article. The application fee required by this section and the license required by this article shall be in addition to any business license and fee which may be required by chapter 19 of the Tucson Code. The granting of a license under this article shall not be deemed evidence or proof that the licensee has complied with requirements and provisions of chapter 19 of the Tucson Code. (c) The chief of police shall investigate an application and the background of the applicant. Based on such investigation, the chief of police shall recommend to the director of finance approval or denial of a license within sixty (60) days of receiving a completed application. The sixty (60) days may be extended for a reasonable time if required by the chief of police to obtain information from other law enforcement agencies. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4-3-78; Ord. No. 8130, § 1, 10-4-93)

Tucson Code § 7-120 Same--Contents.

Sec. 7-120. Same--Contents. (a) An applicant for an escort license or escort bureau license shall submit an application, verified under oath, containing the following information and material: (1) The applicant's full legal and current residence address; (2) The applicant's two (2) residence addresses immediately prior to the applicant's present address, and the dates of residence at each; (3) Any other name by which the applicant has been known during the previous five (5) years; (4) The address at which the applicant desires to do business, and the name under which the business will be conducted; (5) Written proof that the applicant is at least twenty-one (21) years of age; (6) The applicant's height, weight and color of hair and eyes; (7) Two (2) portrait photographs, at least two (2) inches by two (2) inches in size, taken within the previous six (6) months; (8) The business, occupation or employment history of the applicant during the previous five (5) years; (9) All felony and misdemeanor convictions of the applicant, excluding those for traffic offenses; (10) The applicant's complete fingerprints, recorded by the police department; (11) The name and current residence address of each person employed or intended to be employed as an escort; (12) If an application is for an escort bureau license for other than an individual, the full name and current residence address of each of its partners, members, directors, officers and managers; (13) Such other information and identification as the police department may require in order to discover the truth of the matters above required to be set forth in the application. (b) If an application for an escort bureau license is for a firm, partnership, association or corporation, the applicant shall be the individual who is to be in actual management of the escort bureau for which a license is requested, and the information and material required about the applicant by subsection (a) of this section shall also be required about the individual in active management of the firm, partnership, association or corporation in whose name the license is to be issued. (c) An application for a license shall be accompanied by: (1) The application fee required by section 7-119 of this article; and (2) A surety bond in the amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00). The bond shall be executed and acknowledged by the licensee as principal and by a corporation licensed to transact fidelity and surety business in the state as surety. The bond shall be continuous in form and run concurrently with the license period, and shall be in favor of the city for the benefit of any person injured by any act of the principal or the principal's agent or employee, and shall be subject to claim by any person injured thereby. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4-3-78)

Tucson Code § 7-121 Grounds for denial of license.

Sec. 7-121. Grounds for denial of license. No escort license or escort bureau license shall be issued or renewed if the applicant: (1) Has been convicted within the previous five (5) years of a felony or of any offense involving moral turpitude, or of any offense involving prostitution or any of the related offenses enumerated in A.R.S. section 13-1401 et seq.; rape, indecent exposure, child molesting, lewd and lascivious acts as enumerated in this Code or defined in the Arizona Revised Statutes, or of any offense involving the unlawful carrying, possession, or use of a dangerous weapon, or of any offense involving the unlawful possession, sale, or use of dangerous or narcotic drugs; (2) Is not eighteen (18) years of age or older; (3) Knowingly made any false statement in his application; (4) While not licensed under the provisions of this article, committed, aided or abetted the commission of any act for which a license is required by this article; (5) While licensed under this article, has had such license revoked within the previous five (5) years. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4-3-78)

Tucson Code § 7-122 Place of business; license nontransferable.

Sec. 7-122. Place of business; license nontransferable. (a) A licensee shall conduct business only at the address shown on the license. Each additional place of business shall require a separate license. (b) All licenses issued under this article shall be nontransferable as to licensee; however, the director of finance, upon receipt of a transfer fee of ten dollars ($10.00), shall authorize the transfer of a license from one location to another provided the licensee remains the same. (c) No license shall in any manner advertise its services as licensed or bonded by the city. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4:3-78)

Tucson Code § 7-123 Licensee records and reports required.

Sec. 7-123. Licensee records and reports required. (a) Every person licensed as an escort under this article shall maintain a legible written record of every transaction whereby the licensee acted as an escort. The record shall show the date and hours of each transaction and the name, address and telephone number of the person or persons for whom the licensee acted as escort. (b) Every escort bureau licensee shall maintain: (1) A current list of all escorts employed by the licensee, showing the name and current address of each. (2) A legible written record of every transaction whereby any introduction service or escort is furnished to, or arranged for on behalf of, any person, patron or customer. The records shall show the date and hour of each transaction, the name, address and telephone number of the person requesting or arranging for introduction service or escort, and the name of every escort furnished, or other person about whom information is furnished, by the licensee. (c) The records required by subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall be kept available and open for inspection by the police department at any time or by the director of finance or his authorized representative at any time. (d) Every escort bureau licensee shall report in writing to the police department the name of any escort employed by the licensee whose employment by the licensee has terminated, within twenty-four (24) hours after such termination. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4-3-78)

Tucson Code § 7-124 Revocation of license; grounds.

Sec. 7-124. Revocation of license; grounds. The director of finance shall have the authority to revoke a license issued under this article when: (1) The licensee is operating in violation of this article or of any other ordinance or regulation relating to or regulating the licensee's business, and has failed or refused to cease and desist from such violation within five (5) days after notice to do so from the director of finance. (2) The licensee or its managing agent has been convicted, since the license was issued, of any of the offenses described in section 7-121(1) of this article. (3) The licensee or its managing agent has knowingly made false or misleading statements of material fact in the application for the license required by this article, or has entered or given false information in any record or report required by this article to be kept or made by a licensee. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4-3-78)

Tucson Code § 7-125 Procedure for revocation.

Sec. 7-125. Procedure for revocation. (a) Before revoking a license, the director of finance shall given written notice to the licensee, in the manner provided in this article, that a revocation hearing will be held at a place and time specified in the notice, which hearing shall not be sooner than ten (10) days from the date of the notice. The notice shall state the grounds relied upon for the proposed revocation. The director of finance shall hold the hearing at the time and place specified, unless agreed otherwise by the licensee and other parties concerned, and the licensee shall be allowed to appear in person and by counsel and offer evidence. A record shall be a kept of all proceedings, including proofs offered and a transcript of testimony. No license shall be revoked unless grounds therefor are satisfactorily established by the evidence as shown by the record of the hearing. The director of finance shall give the licensee and other parties written notice of his decision, and such decision shall be final. Revocation of a license shall be effected by the finance director's signing of the written notice of his decision. A licensee's right to do business under authority of the license shall terminate immediately upon the mailing to the licensee of a copy of the director's signed decision revoking the license. (b) Notices required by this article may be served by certified mail addressed to the licensee at the address of the licensee as shown on the business license or by personal service. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4-3-78)

Tucson Code § 7-126 Penalty.

Sec. 7-126. Penalty. Wherever in this article any act is prohibited or declared to be unlawful, or the doing of any act is required or the failure to do any act is declared to be unlawful, the violation of any such provision of this article is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($300.00) or imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each day such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. Revocation of a license shall not be a defense against prosecution. (Ord. No. 4782, § 1, 4-3-78)

Source: City of Tucson, Tucson Code (Charter and General Ordinances) and Unified Development Code (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tucson/latest/tucson_az/0-0-0-5024Fetched: 10/28/2026