Chapter 286: Licensing Shows, Open-Air Meetings, Billiard Tables, and Bowling Alleys

No showman, tumbler, rope dancer, ventriloquist or other person shall, for pay, exhibit any feats of agility, horsemanship, sleight of hand, rope dancing or feats with cards, or any animals, wax figures, puppets or other show, or promote any public competition, without a license from the selectmen of the town.

No theatrical or dramatic representation shall be performed or exhibited, and no parade or procession upon any public street or way, and no open-air public meeting upon any ground abutting thereon, shall be permitted, unless a special license therefor shall first be obtained from the selectmen of the town, or from a licensing committee for cities hereinafter provided for.

Any city may create a licensing board to consist of the person who is the active head of the police department, the mayor of such city and one other person who shall be appointed by the city government, which board shall have delegated powers to investigate and decide the question of granting licenses under this chapter, and it may grant revocable blanket licenses to fraternal and other like organizations, to theatres and to undertakers.

Every such special license shall be in writing, and shall specify the day and hour of the permit to perform or exhibit, or of such parade, procession or open-air public meeting. Every licensee shall pay in advance for such license, for the use of the city or town, a sum not more than $300 for each day such licensee shall perform or exhibit, or such parade, procession or open-air public meeting shall take place; but the fee for a license to exhibit in any hall shall not exceed $50.

The selectmen of any town or the licensing committee of any city shall determine whether the fee for the license prescribed herein will for each event licensed hereunder be adequate to reimburse the town or city for the extra expense in protecting the health and safety of the public which can reasonably be attributed to the event to be licensed. When the license fee is found to be inadequate, the promoter of the event shall agree to put in writing to reimburse the town for the amount of such expense in excess of the license fee and shall furnish a bond for the payment of such amount in a form acceptable to the licensing committee or selectmen.

Whoever violates the provisions of RSA 286:1-4 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person, or guilty of a felony if any other person. It shall be the duty of the selectmen to prosecute for every violation of this chapter.

The mayor and aldermen of a city, or the selectmen of a town, may grant a license to any person to keep one or more billiard tables, pool tables or bowling alleys for hire, gain or reward, or in connection with his place of business, upon such terms and conditions as they may deem proper, to be used for the purpose of amusement merely, but not for the purpose of gaming for money or other property. Such license may be revoked at the pleasure of the authority granting it.

All licenses granted under the preceding section shall be valid until May first next after the granting thereof, unless sooner revoked.

The local governing body may set a reasonable annual license fee for each billiard table, pool table, or bowling alley.

The license shall be recorded in the office of the town clerk, who shall be entitled to a fee of $.50 for each license, to be paid by the person to whom it is granted.

Whoever, having a billiard table, pool table or bowling alley in his charge, shall keep the same for hire, gain or reward, or in connection with his place of business, without license, shall forfeit the sum of $20 for every billiard table, pool table or bowling alley so kept, to be recovered in an action of debt in the name of the town, or said person shall be guilty of a violation and the penalty therefor shall be for the use of the town in which such offense is committed.

Billiard tables, pool tables and bowling alleys duly licensed shall be exempt from taxation.