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Palms, Prophecy ... and Permits? How Fortunetelling Works in the Bay

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Some cities in California require fortunetellers to have permits. (Russ Allison Loar/Flickr)

Seeking answers about what might lie ahead in life, and paying for it, has been around for centuries.

In the Bay Area, roadside signs advertising psychic services are a common sight, with many fortunetellers also conducting their business online. That's because fortunetelling is totally legal in California. Not so in many other states.

In New York, the same palm reading or tarot session you can buy in the Bay Area could get a fortuneteller fined $500 -- or 90 days in jail.

California didn't always have this anything-goes approach to the psychic world. Listen using the player above for more about the industry's history in the state, or read our web article, "Why Do San Francisco Psychics Need Permits From the Police?"

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