Lawndale

The City Council approved an ordinance permitting fortune-telling, subject to background checks conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and a review by the city planning department.

The cost of the business license for fortune-telling is $348--almost $300 higher than the $57.75 cost for a regular business license. The larger fee is intended to recover the costs of the extra administrative expenses associated with the background and planning reviews, city officials said. The city began reconsidering its previous ban on fortune-telling after its attorney advised that the ban could be unconstitutional.