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Fewer rules are in their future

The county plans to ease regulations for fortune tellers, psychics and others.

By WILL VAN SANT
Published February 7, 2007

CLEARWATER - Fortune tellers, psychics and palm readers, listen up: Pinellas County will soon ease regulations that you've toiled under for years.

But you probably already knew that, didn't you?

Since 1972, fortune tellers in Pinellas have been regulated. The clerk of the circuit court handled the task at first, but to streamline things, the county passed an ordinance in 2000 that transferred the job of overseeing clairvoyants to the Justice and Consumer Services Department.

Under the ordinance, astrologers, palm and card readers, and fortune tellers who charge for their services are required to submit fingerprints, undergo a background check, provide photographs and pay a fee in order to get a license.

Without a license, they are barred from operating.

Since the ordinance was adopted, Consumer Services has gotten few complaints about bogus or abusive fortune tellers and has never successfully brought a case against somebody for noncompliance.

So later this month, the county plans to suspend the ordinance for two years.

"Frankly, this registration process at this point in time does not seem necessary," said Consumer Services director Tim Burns. "If complaints start to happen, this could be brought back. But we don't anticipate that."

The current licensing fee is $400, plus $30 for a background check.

Brandt DeForrest has been giving tarot card readings for 25 years. In October, he paid the license fees and set up shop at the Oldsmar Flea Market.

DeForrest, one of 35 licensed fortune tellers in Pinellas, said the fees have been much too high, and for that reason he's glad the ordinance is going away. But he also said the county should not assume that fortune tellers are honest, and he said that a registry makes sense.

"I do not claim to be a psychic," said DeForrest, 43. "I make it clear to people in my booth that I do this for entertainment purposes. I don't want them to base the next 20 years of their lives on what I say."

In past years, the ordinance has been criticized by those who believe that it borders on religious bigotry or at least intolerance of marginal spiritual practices.

County Commissioner Susan Latvala would not go that far, but she said regulating astrologers, card readers and those who claim to be clairvoyant is a business that government should not be in.

She's happy the ordinance is about to be history.

"It's entertainment to some people. Other people take it a little more seriously," Latvala said. "But there doesn't appear to be a problem. It just seemed like something we didn't have to have our nose in."

Will Van Sant can be reached at vansant@sptimes.com or 445-4166.

[Last modified February 6, 2007, 22:34:16]