Franklin, TN Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- Spacing distance
- 500 feet
- Protected uses
- homes, schools, day cares
- Also protected
- funeral homes, civic/CI-zoned property
- Existing shops
- grandfathered, not made nonconforming
Summary
Franklin bars new vape shops from locating within 500 feet of homes, schools, day cares, funeral homes, civic uses, or another vape shop.
Vape shops shall not be permitted on any lot within 500 feet of any lot containing the following: a. Any use in the civic and institutional use classification or property zoned CI; b. Any dwelling or residential lot; c. Any use in the recreation use classification; d. A day care center; e. A funeral home; or f. Another vape shop. 2. A vape shop lawfully operating as a conforming use shall not be rendered a nonconforming use by the location subsequent to the commencement of operations of said establishment of a
05 USE REGULATIONS Chapter Principal Uses use listed in Clause 5.1.4.AB.1. AC.Vehicle Sales and Rental 1. Vehicle sales and rental shall not be located on a street intersection composed of two or more arterial streets. 2. Vehicle sales and rental is not permitted on any lot within 200 feet of a dwelling or residential lot.
AD. Vehicle Service, Repair, or Wash Facilities 1. Vehicle service, repair, or wash facilities shall take place within an enclosed structure when located: a. Within 500 feet of a dwelling; or b. Within 500 feet of an arterial street or higher classification as shown in Connect Franklin. 2. Vehicle service areas or washing bays shall be placed to the side or rear of the building and they shall be screened from off-site when not within an enclosed structure. AE.Wrecker Service In the LI district, a wrecker service is permitted only when the following is met: 1. Any outdoor parking or storage of
Full Breakdown
Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 5.1.4.AB, part of the city's 2026 form-based zoning rewrite, prohibits a vape shop from locating on any lot within 500 feet of a civic/institutional use or CI-zoned property, any dwelling or residential lot, a recreation use, a day care center, a funeral home, or another vape shop. A vape shop already operating lawfully isn't rendered nonconforming just because one of those protected uses moves in nearby afterward: the spacing constrains new shops, not existing ones.
Violations & Fines
Opening a vape shop without the required 500-foot separation violates Zoning Ordinance § 22.5, a misdemeanor fined under Title 12's penalty clause, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a vape shop open next to a Franklin residential neighborhood?
Can two vape shops operate near each other in Franklin?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin
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