Business Licensing & Operations, Pembroke Pines

Every city handles business licensing & operations a little differently. In Pembroke Pines, Florida, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Massage Establishments

Chapter 117 of the Pembroke Pines code bans specified sexual contact inside any massage parlor and makes owners and managers criminally liable if they knowingly allow it. Every massage parlor must post a copy of the chapter where customers can see it.

Key details: Governing chapter: Ch. 117, Massage Parlors. Owner liability: Criminal if act knowingly permitted. Posting duty: Chapter posted conspicuously in parlor. Maximum penalty: $500 fine or 90 days, or both. Excluded facilities: Hospitals, clinics, licensed therapist offices.

Violating any provision of Chapter 117, including the prohibited-acts section or the posting requirement, is punishable under § 117.99 by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both, at the discretion of the court. Owners and managers face the same penalty for knowingly permitting a prohibited act by an employee or other person under their supervision.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Pembroke Pines actively enforces its massage establishments requirements.

Towing Companies

Before a property owner or towing business can non-consent tow a vehicle from quasi-public property in Pembroke Pines, § 90.01(E) requires written consent from the owner or lessor and a permanently mounted, reflective 'tow-away zone' sign at every driveway or curb cut, posted at least 24 hours before any tow.

Key details: Consent required: From property owner or lessor before towing. Signage: Required at every driveway/curb cut. Lettering: 'Tow-away zone' at least 4 inches tall. Posting period: Sign up 24 hours before any tow. Indemnification: Towing business must indemnify the city.

Towing or removing a vehicle from quasi-public property without the required owner consent, signage, or indemnification violates § 90.01(E). Section 90.99(B) sets the penalty for any § 90.01 violation at a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment for not more than 60 days, or both, separate from the $100 cost-recovery fine division (F)(2) imposes on an abandoned vehicle's owner.

Auto Repair on Residential Property

Pembroke Pines Code § 99.01 bans vehicle repairs in residential districts except when the owner or tenant repairs their own registered vehicle at their own residence. Repairs on swales or in public rights-of-way are separately banned, and any removed or spare parts must be stored out of view in an enclosed garage or building.

Key details: Governing section: § 99.01, Vehicle Repairs Prohibited. Exception: Owner/tenant repairing their own registered vehicle. Where banned: Swales and public rights-of-way (§ 99.02). Parts storage: Enclosed garage/storage building only (§ 99.03). Time limit: Repairs done in 2 days; 48 hrs after notice (§ 99.04).

Each section of Chapter 99 carries the general penalty under § 10.99: a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with every day a violation continues, such as an unfinished repair past the 48-hour notice window in § 99.04, counted as a separate offense.

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

Pawnbrokers

Pembroke Pines does not run its own pawnbroker licensing scheme; instead Section 155.521 controls pawn shops through strict siting rules. A pawn shop cannot open within 1,000 feet of another pawn shop, a bar, a church, or a school or day care, and it is unlawful to establish one within 500 feet of any residentially zoned district.

Key details: Distance from other pawn shops/bars: 1,000 feet minimum. Distance from churches/schools/day cares: 1,000 feet minimum. Distance from residential zoning: 500 feet minimum. Measurement method: Straight line, ground or air. Local licensing scheme: None; siting rules only.

A pawn shop opened or operated in violation of the 1,000-foot or 500-foot distance rules is a zoning violation under the Land Development Code, enforceable by the Code Enforcement Board under Section 32.050. The Board can order fines up to $250 per day for a first violation and $500 per day for a repeat violation under Section 32.058, recordable as a lien against the property, in addition to the underlying zoning action needed to bring the use into compliance or close it.

Compared to other cities, Pembroke Pines takes a harder line on pawnbrokers. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Adult Entertainment

Pembroke Pines bars adult entertainment establishments within 500 feet of any residentially zoned district and separates them from other adult uses, alcohol-serving businesses, churches, and schools under Land Development Code § 155.503. Operators must also register the business's president or owner with the City Manager under § 133.25, and anyone under 18 is barred from the premises entirely.

Key details: Residential buffer: 500 feet from residential zoning. Use separation: 1,000 feet from other adult uses, bars, schools. Waiver process: 51% property-owner petition to Planning & Zoning Board. Registration: Owner/president registered with City Manager. Minimum age on premises: 18 years.

Siting an adult entertainment use inside the 500-foot residential buffer or the 1,000-foot separation from other adult uses, bars, churches, or schools without an approved Planning and Zoning Board waiver is a zoning violation subject to code enforcement action. Failing to register with the City Manager or admitting a person under 18 under § 133.25 is punishable under § 133.99, and violating the alcohol-establishment prohibition in § 133.23 carries a fine of up to $500 or up to 60 days in jail.

Compared to other cities, Pembroke Pines takes a harder line on adult entertainment. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Tobacco Retail License

Pembroke Pines does not issue its own vape or e-cigarette retail license: § 155.512 says regulating the marketing, sale, or delivery of nicotine products is preempted to the state under F.S. § 569.315. What the city does enforce locally is § 134.10, which bars selling any electronic nicotine dispensing device or nicotine product to anyone under 21.

Key details: Minimum sale age: 21 years. ID-check trigger: Buyer appears under 27. Retail licensing: None locally; preempted to state (F.S. 569.315). Enforcement: Any city law or code enforcement officer. General penalty: Up to $500 fine or 90 days (§ 10.99).

A violation of § 134.10 carries the general penalty in § 10.99, up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, applied to the clerk or the business regardless of whether the buyer turns out to be an adult or a minor. Section 134.10(D) adds a business-specific consequence: repeated violations can lead the city to pursue revocation of the retailer's business license tax receipt, on top of the criminal penalty.

Tattoo & Body Modification

Pembroke Pines treats standalone tattoo parlors as a designated use with strict distance buffers. Section 155.532 bars a new parlor within 1,000 feet of an alcohol-serving establishment, a religious institution, or a school or day care, and within 500 feet of any residentially zoned district. A separate rule, § 155.507, lets tattooing happen only as an accessory service inside an existing personal care or medical facility.

Key details: Buffer from alcohol/church/school: 1,000 feet (§ 155.532(A)(2)). Buffer from residential districts: 500 feet (§ 155.532(A)(3)). Accessory body art hours: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.. Accessory body art rooms: One customer chair, separate room. Permits required: City, FL Dept. of Health, Broward County.

Establishing a tattoo parlor inside the 1,000-foot or 500-foot buffers is expressly declared unlawful by § 155.532(A)(2) and (3), and operating a body art studio without the city, state Department of Health, and Broward County permits required by § 155.507(B)(1) is likewise a violation subject to city inspection. Neither section states its own fine, so the citywide general penalty in § 10.99 applies: up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of continued operation a separate offense under § 10.98(B).

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Pembroke Pines actively enforces its tattoo & body modification requirements.

The Bottom Line

Pembroke Pines is tougher than many cities when it comes to business licensing & operations. Out of the 7 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Pembroke Pines, 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 Pembroke Pines's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.