Business Licensing & Operations in Abilene, TX (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Abilene, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
An adult entertainment enterprise in Abilene must sit at least 600 feet from any home, church, park, hospital, or the College-University district, 1,000 feet from another such business, and 2,000 feet from any school, and cannot locate on or between North and South 1st Streets.
Abilene Adult-Entertainment Enterprise Location Standards
Some RestrictionsAbilene Land Development Code Sec. 2.4.3.4(a)
(a) All structures housing adult entertainment enterprises (as defined in Chapter 5 of this LDC) shall be located as follows: (1) At least six hundred feet (600') from the property boundary line of any lot in a College-University zoning district; (2) At least six hundred feet (600') from the property boundary line of any residentially zoned lot or any lot used for church, park, or hospital purp...
Massage Establishments
Abilene requires anyone operating a massage establishment to hold a license from the City Secretary before opening. The Chief of Police and the Health Officer must both approve the application in writing, and the location needs a certificate of occupancy from the Building Inspector. Establishments must close between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and staff need annual health certificates.
Abilene Massage Establishments Need a City License
Significant RestrictionsAbilene Code of Ordinances §§ 16-18, 16-3, 16-22
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a massage establishment without first having obtained a license therefor from the City Secretary, in accordance with the provisions of this article. ... No massage establishment shall be kept open for any purpose between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. ... A massage establishment license shall only be issued upon the approval of the Health Of...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Abilene does not run a separate tattoo-parlor license; the Land Use Matrix controls where a tattoo parlor can open. It is permitted by right in the General Commercial, Heavy Commercial, and Light Industrial districts, and only allowed elsewhere with a Conditional Use Permit.
Abilene Tattoo Parlor Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsAbilene Land Development Code § 2.4.3.3(178); § 2.4.2.1 (Land Use Matrix)
(178) TATTOO PARLOR: Any room or space where tattooing is practiced, or where the business of tattooing is conducted, except when tattooing is an accessory use, it shall not be considered a tattoo parlor and shall fall under the zoning regulations pertaining to the primary use to which it is accessory. ... LEGEND: P = Permitted, Blank = Not Permitted, C = Conditional Use Permit, TP = Requires a...
Tobacco Retail License
Abilene doesn't issue a separate vape or e-cigarette retail license, but its Code of Ordinances still tightly controls how those products reach the shelf: self-service displays are banned, every sale must be vendor-assisted, and clerks must check ID before selling an electronic cigarette or liquid nicotine to anyone who might be underage.
Abilene Vape Retailers Must Use Vendor-Assisted Sales
Significant RestrictionsAbilene Code of Ordinances §§ 10-94, 10-95
Sec. 10-94. - Sale of electronic cigarette or e-cigarette or liquid nicotine to persons younger than eighteen years of age prohibited; proof of age required. (a)A person or retailer commits an offense if the person or retailer with criminal negligence:(1)Sells, gives or causes to be sold or given an electronic cigarette or e-cigarette or liquid nicotine to someone who is younger than eighteen (...
Secondhand Dealers
Anyone in Abilene who buys secondhand goods, furniture, clothing, auto parts, or other personal property to resell must keep a permanent written register of every purchase under Code of Ordinances § 20-8. Each entry needs a description of the item, who sold it and their address, and, once resold, who bought it and for how much, and the log must be open to police inspection at any time.
Abilene Secondhand Dealers Must Log Every Purchase
Significant RestrictionsAbilene Code of Ordinances § 20-8
Sec. 20-8. - Registration of goods purchased by secondhand dealers. Any person purchasing, either for himself or on behalf of any other person, secondhand goods, furniture, clothing, automobile parts or accessories or any other personal property for the purpose of resale shall keep a permanent register of such purchases, in which the following information shall be provided: (1)An accurate descr...
Pawnbrokers
Abilene's pawn shop ordinance does not license pawnbrokers directly, since that comes from the state Pawn Shop Act, but it does force every item a shop purchases to sit on the shelf for eleven days before resale, and lets police stretch that hold to twenty days when an investigation needs more time.
Abilene Pawn Shops Must Hold Items 11 Days
Some RestrictionsAbilene Code of Ordinances § 17-51
(a)Each item of personal property purchased from the general public by any local pawn shop under the regulation of the Texas Pawn Shop Act and the Consumer Credit Commissioner must be held at the licensed pawn shop location for a period from the purchase date before being modified, changed, sold, or disposed of in any manner for at least eleven (11) days.(b)The City Police Department shall have...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Abilene flatly bans automobile repair as a home occupation, no matter the property's zoning district or floor-area math. The Land Development Code lists it among 15 uses that can never qualify as a home business, alongside animal clinics, commercial stables and medical offices, because of the noise, chemicals and outdoor equipment those uses bring to a residential street.
Abilene Bans Home-Based Auto Repair Businesses
Heavy RestrictionsAbilene Land Development Code Sec. 2.4.5.3(a)
(a)Prohibited Home Occupation Uses. The following uses are specifically prohibited from operating as a home occupation:(1)Animal clinic;(2)Automobile Repair;(3)Clinic (of any type, including);(4)Commercial stable;(5)Cooking, catering or other food preparation businesses;(6)Dress shop;(7)Health studio;(8)Hospital;(9)Kennel;(10)Medical or dental clinic or office;(11)Radio and television sales, re...
Looking for Taylor County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Abilene city rules.
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