Business Licensing & Operations in Revere, MA

If you live in Revere or are thinking about moving there, business licensing & operations are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Revere has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of business licensing & operations, and some of them might surprise you.

Secondhand Dealers

Revere secondhand dealers and collectors need a license from the license commission and may not pay more than $40 cash per transaction or accept goods on consignment. The commission can deny or revoke a license for repeated violations, prior revocations, or disqualifying criminal convictions under Chapter 5.16.

Key details: Cash purchase cap: $40 per transaction. Consignment sales: Prohibited. Licensing authority: License Commission. Record retention (photos): At least 10 years. Standard holding period: 15-21 days before resale.

Violation of Chapter 5.16 by an owner, manager, or operator of a secondhand dealer or collector business is grounds for the license commission to revoke the business's license under Section 5.16.091, and can also constitute a public nuisance subject to abatement. A secondhand dealer who allows a sale of regulated property without the owner's consent, after being notified in writing by police of a violator, is separately prohibited from doing further business with that person under Section 5.16.050(B), and unauthorized sales are punishable by a civil penalty of up to $500 per item.

Compared to other cities, Revere takes a harder line on secondhand dealers. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Massage Establishments

Massage establishments licensed under Chapter 140, Section 51 of the Massachusetts General Laws must follow two Revere-specific rules: no masseur or masseuse may perform massage or assist with a bath on a client of the opposite sex, and every treatment room needs an unobstructed one-by-two-foot window plus doors that stay unlocked during business hours.

Key details: State license required: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 51. Opposite-sex massage: Prohibited for masseurs/masseuses. Window requirement: 1 ft by 2 ft, unobstructed view. Doors: Unlocked during all business hours. Default penalty: Up to $300/offense, Sec. 1.16.010.

Neither section spells out its own dollar penalty, so a violation of the opposite-sex practice ban or the window-and-door rule falls under the Municipal Code's general penalty in Section 1.16.010: a fine of not more than $300 per offense, with each day a room stays noncompliant, such as a blocked or locked door, counted as a separate offense.

Auto Repair on Residential Property

Revere's zoning code puts vehicle repair on the short list of home occupations it prohibits outright. Section 17.44.030 bars repair and painting of automobiles, trailers, boats or other vehicles as a home occupation everywhere in the city, alongside barbershops, restaurants, stables, kennels and boarding rooms, regardless of how small the operation is.

Key details: Prohibited use: Repair/painting of autos, trailers, boats (§17.44.030(A)). Applies citywide: No district or size exception. Also barred: Barbershop, restaurant, stable/kennel, room letting. Max fine: $300 per offense, per day (§1.16.010).

Operating a home-based auto repair or painting business is a zoning violation under Section 17.44.030 enforced through the citywide general penalty, Section 1.16.010: a fine of up to $300 per offense, with each day the prohibited use continues counted as a separate offense. The building inspector can order the use shut down regardless of any business license the operator may hold.

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

Tattoo & Body Modification

Revere allows tattoo and body art establishments only in the TED district and only by special permit from the city council, with a 500-foot buffer from schools, parks, playgrounds, conservation land, houses of worship and residential uses. A separate board of health licensing scheme covers body piercers citywide, charging a $40 annual fee.

Key details: Allowed district: TED district only. Spacing from schools/parks/churches: 500 feet. Mandatory closure hours: 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.. Piercer permit fee: $40 plus $40 annual renewal. Unpermitted piercing fine: $300 per violation.

Building or operating a body art establishment outside the TED district, without a special permit, or inside the 500-foot buffer violates § 17.16.048 and exposes the owner to § 17.60.090's fine of up to three hundred dollars per day. Separately, performing body piercing without a board of health permit carries its own three-hundred-dollar fine per violation under § 9.04.170, and a piercer's permit can be suspended immediately if the board finds an imminent health hazard.

This is one of the stricter rules in Revere's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Adult Entertainment

Revere confines every adult entertainment establishment, adult bookstore, adult video store, adult motion picture theater and adult advertising sign to the TED district, and only then with a special permit from the city council. Adult uses must also sit at least 1,000 feet from schools, day care centers, playgrounds and houses of worship, and 300 feet from each other.

Key details: Allowed district: TED district only. Approval required: City council special permit. Spacing from similar use: 300 feet. Spacing from schools/parks/churches: 1,000 feet. Mandatory closure hours: 1:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m..

Constructing, converting or operating an adult entertainment establishment outside the TED district, without a special permit, or inside the 300-foot or 1,000-foot buffers violates § 17.16.045 and § 17.60.090's general zoning penalty of up to three hundred dollars per day for each day the violation continues. The building inspector may also withhold or revoke any building permit or certificate of occupancy for the noncompliant use under §§ 17.60.040 and 17.60.050.

This is one of the stricter rules in Revere's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Towing Companies

When Revere police order a vehicle towed from a public way under the city's tow-away authority, Revere Municipal Code § 10.44.010 caps the towing, storage, and administrative fees a contractor can charge, makes the towing contractor liable for its own negligent damage, and requires the police department to log the tow and the contractor's name.

Key details: Who orders a tow: Police chief or sergeant-rank officer or higher. Fee caps: Removal and storage fees capped by state statute. Contractor liability: Liable to owner for negligent damage. Records kept: 1 year: registration, dates, fee, contractor, officer. Legal authority: M.G.L. c. 40, § 22D.

An owner disputing an improper tow can point to the police department's § 10.44.090 log to identify the authorizing officer and the contractor, and can pursue the contractor directly under § 10.44.080 for negligent damage. A contractor who charges above the statutory removal, storage, or administrative fee caps set in § 10.44.070 is charging outside what the ordinance authorizes.

Tobacco Retail License

Any retailer selling tobacco or electronic cigarettes over the counter or through vending machines in Revere needs a tobacco sales and location permit from the Board of Health. The base permit costs $25 a year under Section 8.36.020, but the city's fee schedule bills electronic cigarettes separately at $200 a year, alongside $200 lines for cigarettes and cigars.

Key details: Permit issuer: Board of Health. Base permit fee: $25/year, Section 8.36.020. E-cigarette license fee: $200/year, Appendix A. Expiration: December 31st every year. Vending machines: Banned outside age-restricted bar areas.

Selling tobacco or e-cigarettes without the Section 8.36.020 permit, running a banned vending machine, or selling loose cigarette packs under twenty sticks draws a fine of fifty dollars per day of the offense, suspension of every Board of Health license the retailer holds, or both. Repeated underage-sale violations under Section 8.36.040 can lead the Board of Health to suspend a permit for six months after four violations, or a full year after five, within a two-year period.

Pawnbrokers

Revere caps pawnbroker licenses at one for every 10,000 residents and runs each license from May 1 to April 30. Every licensee must post a $300 bond and comply with Chapter 140 of the General Laws in addition to the city's licensing commission rules under Municipal Code Chapter 5.20.

Key details: License cap: 1 per 10,000 residents. Required bond: $300 with two sureties. License term: May 1 to April 30. Police inspection frequency: At least every 45 days. Standard holding period: 4 months (1 month if perishable).

Operating as a pawnbroker in Revere without a license, or continuing business after license revocation, is punished under Section 75 of Chapter 140 of the General Laws per Section 5.20.070. Refusing to admit an inspecting officer, or failing to exhibit articles, books, or inventories on demand during the police chief's mandatory 45-day inspections, is punishable under either the General Laws or this chapter, whichever provides the greater penalty, per Section 5.20.130.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Revere actively enforces its pawnbrokers requirements.

The Bottom Line

Revere is tougher than many cities when it comes to business licensing & operations. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Revere, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Revere's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.