(a) Any municipality may adopt an ordinance to fix and collect licenses for any business, trade, or profession done within the police jurisdiction of the municipality but outside the corporate limits thereof; provided, that the amount of the licenses shall not be more than one half the amount charged and collected as a license for like business, trade, or profession done within the corporate limits of the municipality, fees and penalties excluded; and provided further, that the total amount of the licenses shall not be in an amount greater than the cost of services provided by the municipality within the police jurisdiction. All licenses adopted pursuant to this section shall be assessed to all businesses, trades, or professionals within the police jurisdiction. No license adopted after September 1, 2015, in the police jurisdiction shall take effect until a 30-day notice has been given of the adoption of the ordinance; provided, however, that no license may be imposed under this section in an expanded police jurisdiction until the police jurisdiction expansion is effective under subsection (d) of Section 11-40-10. The notice given shall be the same as required for adoption of an ordinance under Section 11-45-8. Additionally, if available at no cost to the municipality, the 30-day notice shall be submitted to the Atlas Alabama state website or any successor state-operated website providing information to businesses. No ordinance adopted after September 1, 2015, may be enforced against an individual or entity affected by the ordinance unless the municipality has complied with the notice requirement provided in this section.
(b) No calculation shall be required to be made by the municipal officials or license officer for the cost of services to any particular business or classification of businesses within the police jurisdiction so long as the total amount of revenues from the licenses collected in the police jurisdiction is not an amount greater than the cost of services provided by the municipality to the police jurisdiction. Each municipality shall prepare an annual report which shall include an accounting of all license revenues collected in the police jurisdiction expanded after September 1, 2015, and provide a list of the services provided by the municipality and a list of providers within the police jurisdiction. A copy of the annual report, which shall be completed within 90 days of the close of the fiscal year, shall be forwarded to the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts and shall be made available to the public.
(c) When the place at which any business, trade, or profession is done or carried on is within the police jurisdiction of two or more municipalities which levy the licenses thereon authorized by this section, the licenses shall be paid to, issued, and collected by that municipality only whose boundary measured to the nearest point thereof is closest to the business, trade, or profession. This section shall not have the effect of repealing or modifying the limitations in this article relating to railroad, express companies, sleeping car companies, telegraph companies, telephone companies, and public utilities and insurance companies and their agents. This section shall be given a liberal construction to effectuate its purpose and meaning.
Last modified: May 3, 2021