How Garland Handles Business Licensing & Operations: A Practical Guide

Garland maintains 144 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with business licensing & operations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Garland falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Secondhand Dealers

Anyone in Garland who buys used electronics, tools, jewelry, firearms, musical instruments or other "regulated property" for resale or salvage must record the seller's ID and hold the item untouched for seven business days under §26.08. The Police Department can inspect those records without a court order at any time.

Key details: Covered goods: Electronics, tools, jewelry, firearms, instruments. Resale hold: 7 business days before resale or salvage. Seller record: Numbered ticket with ID and description. Record retention: 1 year, copy sent to Police Dept. Minor sellers: Purchase from under-18 is an offense.

Violating the recordkeeping, seven-day hold, or identification requirements of §26.08(B), possessing regulated property without compliant records, or purchasing from a minor or an unidentified seller is an offense under §26.08(C); it is an affirmative defense that a purchase from a minor was made with parental consent and the buyer was not a pawnbroker, or that the property came from a manufacturer or authorized vendor.

Tattoo & Body Modification

Garland requires tattoo and body piercing establishments to sit at least 500 feet from homes, churches, schools, parks, hospitals, child care centers, senior living facilities, and other tattoo shops under GDC § 2.52(A)(6). Every artist and piercer must hold a valid state license at all times, and the same rule reaches permanent cosmetics offered inside salons and spas.

Key details: Buffer distance: 500 feet from homes, schools, churches, parks, hospitals. Measurement method: street-front lines, door-to-door, straight across intersections. License requirement: valid state license required at all times. Permanent cosmetics: exempt as accessory salon/spa use. Governing section: GDC § 2.52(A)(6).

Operating a tattoo or body piercing shop inside the 500-foot buffer, or performing services without a current state license, is a misdemeanor under GDC § 5.24, punishable by a fine under Title 1, Chapter 10, Article 1 of the City Code. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense, and the Building Official can deny or revoke a certificate of occupancy for a location that fails the distance test.

Auto Repair on Residential Property

Garland bars visible major auto repair in residential zones outright and bans major or minor repair on any vehicle not registered to the property owner under GDC § 2.61(D)(2). A narrow affirmative defense covers vehicles registered to a close relative living at the same address.

Key details: Visible repair ban: Major Automobile Repair visible from ROW banned. Ownership test: vehicle must be registered to property owner. Affirmative defense: vehicle registered to relative within 2 degrees. Applies to: all residential zoning districts citywide. Governing section: GDC § 2.61(D)(2).

Conducting visible Major Automobile Repair, or repairing any vehicle not registered to the property owner or a qualifying relative, in a Garland residential zone is an offense under GDC § 2.61(D)(2), prosecuted as a misdemeanor under § 5.24 and fined per Title 1, Chapter 10, Article 1 of the City Code, with each day of continued repair work charged as a separate offense.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Garland actively enforces its auto repair on residential property requirements.

Adult Entertainment

Garland requires a city permit to operate any sexually oriented business, and the Building Official must deny it whenever the site sits within 1,000 feet of a home, place of worship, school, licensed day-care, or public park, or within 1,000 feet of another such business.

Key details: Separation from protected uses: 1,000 feet. Spacing from another SOB: 1,000 feet. Permit term: One year, renewable. Issuing agency: Building Official. Applicant notice: On-site sign + newspaper.

Operating without a valid, posted permit is an offense, and each day is a separate violation for suspension. The City Attorney may seek revocation for repeated Penal Code offenses on the premises, admitting minors, or false application information.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Garland actively enforces its adult entertainment requirements.

The Bottom Line

Garland is tougher than many cities when it comes to business licensing & operations. Out of the 4 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Garland, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Garland's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.