DANCE HALLS

Fort Worth City Code ch. 20, art. II, div. 4

in effect

Fort Worth City Code § 20-61 DEFINITIONS.

§ 20-61 DEFINITIONS. The following terms, when used in this division, shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section. CABARET, NIGHTCLUB or TAVERN. Any space, structure, building or resort opened to the public, enclosed or unenclosed, where food, beer, wine or other beverage is served on the premises, including restaurants and cafés, and where patrons are provided with a space for dancing or are permitted to dance. CLUB. Any bona fide nonprofit society, association of persons or corporation organized for civic, fraternal, social or charitable purposes, or any purpose not a business or commercial purpose, which owns, rents or operates a place or building for the accommodation of its members when such place or premises or any part thereof is used for dancing by members of the club or is rented to others for such purposes. DANCING SCHOOL. Any room, space or academy in which classes are held and instruction in dancing is given for hire. OPERATOR. The person who conducts, manages, maintains or controls, either directly or indirectly, any dance hall. PUBLIC DANCE. Any dance to which admission can be had by paying a fee or by the purchase, possession or presentation of a ticket or token, or in which a charge is made for checking wearing apparel or parcels, or any other dance in which the public generally may gain admission with the payment of a fee directly or indirectly or without payment of a fee. PUBLIC DANCE HALL. Any room, space or building where a public dance is held. PRIVATE DANCE. Includes any dance given at any home or any dance given or held by a bona fide club, admission to which is granted to members and their invited guests and from which the general public is excluded. (1964 Code, § 13-1) Cross-reference: Definitions and rules of construction generally, see § 1-2

Fort Worth City Code § 20-62 APPLICABILITY.

§ 20-62 APPLICABILITY. The provisions of this division shall not apply to private clubs, societies, persons or corporations where the attendance is restricted to the members of the society, club or corporation and their invited guests, and from which the general public is excluded. (1964 Code, § 13-2)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-63 CLASSIFICATION AND FEES.

§ 20-63 CLASSIFICATION AND FEES. The classifications and license fees for each type of dance hall are as follows: (a) All cabarets, nightclubs and taverns are class A dance halls, and the license fee shall be $100 per year. (b) All other dance halls are class B, the license fee for which shall be $15 per year, save and except as provided in subsection (c) below. (c) Class C dance halls shall be dancing schools, the license fee for which shall be $1 per year. (1964 Code, § 13-4) (Ord. 8811, § 1, passed 5-10-1983)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-64 LICENSE - REQUIRED.

§ 20-64 LICENSE - REQUIRED. It shall be unlawful for any person to hold or conduct any public dance or dancing school, as defined in this division, within the city unless the dance hall where same may be held has first been licensed for such purpose. Such license shall be issued by the assessor-collector of taxes when the conditions of this division have been complied with and when such application has been approved by the chief of police or his or her designee or the city council. (1964 Code, § 13-3)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-65 SAME - APPLICATION.

§ 20-65 SAME - APPLICATION. Any person desiring a license required by this division to operate a dance hall shall file with the chief of police a sworn written application for such license, which application shall state: (a) The location by street and number of the place, space, building, room or floor and the size thereof which is proposed to be used for such purpose and the name and address of the applicant; (b) If the applicant is an individual, that he or she is a bona fide resident of the city and the state, and the length of such residence therein, that he or she has not been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, and, if so, the nature of the offense; (c) If the applicant is a firm, association or partnership, all of the information prescribed in subsection (b) of this section as to each individual composing the firm, association or partnership; (d) If the applicant is a corporation, that the applicant is organized and chartered under the laws of the state, or if a foreign corporation, that such corporation has complied with the laws of the state, and the same information with reference to the operator or person in charge of such dance hall shall be given as prescribed in subsection (b) of this section; in addition thereto a list of the officers, directors and stockholders of such corporation shall be given; (e) Previous occupation or employment of the applicant for a period of five years next preceding the filing of his or her application; (f) In the case of applications for class C licenses, such application shall give the names and addresses of each instructor in the school of dancing; and (g) Whether a hotel, rooming house or lodginghouse is conducted in any part of the premises for which a license is sought, and if so, the number of rooms contained in such hotel, rooming house or lodginghouse. (1964 Code, § 13-5)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-66 SAME - CONTENTS; DISPLAY.

§ 20-66 SAME - CONTENTS; DISPLAY. The dance hall license required by this division shall state on its face to whom it is issued, the date it will expire, the address and location of such dance hall and whether the license is issued for class A, B or C dance hall. It shall be posted by the licensee in a conspicuous place at or near the entrance and in such a place and position that it may be easily read at any time of day or night. (1964 Code, § 13-8) (Ord. 22768-06-2017, § 1, passed 6-20-2017)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-67 SAME - DURATION; REFUND POLICY.

§ 20-67 SAME - DURATION; REFUND POLICY. All dance hall licenses shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of issue. There shall be no refund of any license fee paid under this division for any cause whatsoever. (1964 Code, § 13-9) (Ord. 10734, § 1, passed 11-15-1990)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-68 SAME - NONASSIGNABLE; TRANSFER.

§ 20-68 SAME - NONASSIGNABLE; TRANSFER. Dance hall licenses shall be deemed personal to the licensees and shall not be assignable; provided, however, that licenses issued under this division may be transferred from one location or place of business to another location after the chief of police shall have been given five days’ notice and shall have approved of such change. (1964 Code, § 13-10)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-69 FINGERPRINTING OF LICENSE APPLICANT.

§ 20-69 FINGERPRINTING OF LICENSE APPLICANT. Every applicant for a dance hall license shall be fingerprinted by the police department. (1964 Code, § 13-6)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-70 REJECTED LICENSE APPLICATIONS; APPEAL.

§ 20-70 REJECTED LICENSE APPLICATIONS; APPEAL. If the chief of police disapproves a dance hall license application the applicant shall have the right to appeal within ten days after such refusal, in writing, to the city council requesting a hearing by the council upon the application. In the event of such appeal, a hearing shall be had before the council within 30 days thereafter to determine the correctness of the action of the chief of police on such application. Whatever action shall be taken by the city council on such appeal shall be final. (1964 Code, § 13-13)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-71 LICENSE REVOCATION HEARING; APPEAL.

§ 20-71 LICENSE REVOCATION HEARING; APPEAL. (a) If any dance hall licensee shall violate any of the terms of this division, this code or other ordinances of the city or laws of the state, the chief of police may at any time give notice in writing to such licensee or operator of such dance hall of a hearing to be held in the city hall for the purpose of cancelling such license, and upon such hearing the chief of police may cancel such license for any of the above causes, which action shall become final at the end of ten days from the expiration of such hearing. (b) The licensee shall have the right of appeal to the city council within such ten-day period from and after the expiration of such hearing, and if such appeal is taken, then the city council shall conduct a hearing on such cancellation and may cancel such license for any of the causes so shown, which action shall become final. (1964 Code, § 13-14)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-72 MISREPRESENTATION IN LICENSE APPLICATION.

§ 20-72 MISREPRESENTATION IN LICENSE APPLICATION. It shall be unlawful to misrepresent the kind and character of the dance hall to be operated or any other fact or statement made in an application for a dance hall license. Any misrepresentation of any applicant for the purpose of avoiding the provisions of this division shall, in addition to the other penalties prescribed by law, be cause for the revocation of the license. (1964 Code, § 13-7)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-73 INVESTIGATION OF PREMISES.

§ 20-73 INVESTIGATION OF PREMISES. No dance hall license shall be granted unless it shall appear, upon investigation by the chief of police and building commissioner, that the premises desired to be used for the purpose of conducting a dance hall complies with all ordinances of the city and laws of the state. (1964 Code, § 13-12)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-74 HOURS OF OPERATION.

§ 20-74 HOURS OF OPERATION. All class A and class B dance halls shall close and not operate between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., except on Saturday nights when the hour of closing shall be 3:00 a.m.; provided, however, that the chief of police may grant special permits in writing to licensees to operate until a later hour upon special occasions. Applications for such special permits shall be made not less than 48 hours prior thereto. (1964 Code, § 13-15)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-75 DANCING IN UNLICENSED HALLS.

§ 20-75 DANCING IN UNLICENSED HALLS. It shall be unlawful for any person to dance at an unlicensed dance hall; provided, that this section shall not apply to any entertainer performing any sort of entertainment at a public gathering. (1964 Code, § 13-16)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-76 AGE RESTRICTION.

§ 20-76 AGE RESTRICTION. No person under the age of 17 years shall be permitted to attend or take part in any public dance after 9:00 p.m., unless such minor is accompanied by his or her parent or guardian. It shall be unlawful for any person to falsely represent himself or herself to be either parent or guardian of such minor for the purpose of gaining his or her admittance to such dance hall. (1964 Code, § 13-17)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-77 SLEEPING ROOMS PROHIBITED; EXCEPTION.

§ 20-77 SLEEPING ROOMS PROHIBITED; EXCEPTION. No dance hall shall have in any way connected with it any room or rooms equipped or fitted in any way as sleeping rooms which are opened to or let to the patrons of such dance hall or to the public with or without a charge being made therefor, except bona fide hotels. (1964 Code, § 13-19)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-78 TOILET FACILITIES.

§ 20-78 TOILET FACILITIES. Each dance hall shall be supplied with separate and convenient toilet facilities for each sex. (1964 Code, § 13-20)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-79 RIGHT OF ENTRY OF POLICE.

§ 20-79 RIGHT OF ENTRY OF POLICE. Free access and entrance into all dance halls shall at all times be accorded and granted to the police officers of the city when on official duty. (1964 Code, § 13-21)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-80 “TAXI DANCE HALLS” PROHIBITED.

§ 20-80 “TAXI DANCE HALLS” PROHIBITED. Nothing in this division shall be construed as authorizing the issuance of a license under any circumstances for the conduct of any dance hall commonly known as “taxi dance halls,” wherein there are kept and provided male or female dancing partners for male and female guests who pay by the dance for the privilege of dancing with such partners. (1964 Code, § 13-23)

Fort Worth City Code § 20-81 through 20-90 RESERVED.

Source: City of Fort Worth, Code of Ordinances, City Charter and Zoning Ordinance (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/ftworth/latest/ftworth_tx/0-0-0-21682Fetched: 10/26/2026