Business Licensing & Operations in Akron, OH (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Akron, Ohio, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Akron confines sexually oriented businesses to Class U3 or U4 districts and keeps them 500 feet from any U1 or U2 residential district, 1,000 feet from schools, libraries, parks, and churches, and 1,000 feet from any other sexually oriented business. The spacing runs in a straight line, ignoring buildings in between.
Akron Sexually Oriented Business Zoning
Significant RestrictionsAkron City Code § 153.299(A)
A.A sexually oriented business may be located only in accordance with the following restrictions:1.No such business shall be located on any parcel within five hundred feet of any Class U-1 or U-2 District;2.No such business shall be located on any parcel within one thousand feet of any public library, private or public elementary or secondary school, public park or church;3.No such business sha...
Massage Establishments
Running a massage establishment in Akron requires a Mayor-issued permit approved by the Health Officer before opening. City Code § 111.251 bans operating without one, and § 111.252 sets a nonrefundable $185 filing fee plus review by the Fire, Health, Building Inspection, and Police divisions.
Akron Massage Establishment Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsAkron City Code §§ 111.251, 111.252
No person shall engage in, conduct, or carry on, or permit to be engaged in, conducted, or carried on, in or upon any premises in the city, the operation of a massage establishment without first having obtained a permit therefor from the Mayor, after approval of the Health Officer. Penalty, see 111.999. ...A.Every applicant for a permit to maintain, operate, or conduct a massage establishment s...
Tobacco Retail License
Akron requires every smoke shop to hold a Vape Products License before selling vape or smoke shop products, issued by the Treasurer's Office - Assessments & Licenses under City Code § 111.640. The license only issues after the Zoning Manager confirms the location complies with the city's smoke shop and vape shop zoning rules.
Akron Smoke Shop Vape Products License
Significant RestrictionsAkron City Code § 111.640(B), (E)
License Required. No Smoke Shop shall sell any Smoke Shop Product, including accessories without first obtaining a Vape Products License. ... Within 14 days of receipt of the application, an authorized City representative shall notify the Treasurer's Office - Assessments & Licenses whether the proposed locations comply with this section.
Secondhand Dealers
Anyone buying or reselling used goods in Akron, from jewelry and electronics to bicycles and tools, needs a City license before opening. City Code § 111.490 defines "secondhand dealer" broadly and lists fifteen categories of regulated secondhand articles, and § 111.497 forces every licensee to log each item's seller and price for police inspection.
Akron Secondhand Dealer License Rules
Significant RestrictionsAkron City Code § 111.490
"Secondhand dealer" means any person, persons, society, club, partnership, organization or corporation engaged in the business of selling secondhand articles or purchasing secondhand articles for the purpose of resale. ...B.No person, partnership, corporation, or other entity, unless duly licensed as provided in this article, shall engage in the business of a pawnbroker or the business of purch...
Pawnbrokers
Akron bars anyone from operating a pawnshop without a City license. City Code § 111.490 defines a "pawnbroker" as anyone lending money on pledged personal property at more than 8% annual interest, and § 111.491 requires background checks, character references, and a 30-day waiting period before a license issues.
Akron Pawnbroker License Requirement
Significant RestrictionsAkron City Code § 111.490
"Pawnbroker" means a person engaged in the business of lending money on deposit or pledges of personal property, other than securities or printed evidence of indebtedness, at a total charge, rate of interest, or discount or other remuneration in excess of eight per cent annum. ...B.No person, partnership, corporation, or other entity, unless duly licensed as provided in this article, shall enga...
Towing Companies
Akron licenses a single towing company for each of six police towing districts and holds them to strict service standards. Sec. 70.52 requires tow companies to be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, respond within twenty minutes of dispatch, carry at least $2 million in liability insurance, and stock specific trucks and storage capacity.
Akron Police Tow Company Regulations
Significant RestrictionsAkron Codified Ordinances § 70.52(D), (I), (J)
D.Towing companies shall be open to the public for the release of impounded vehicles at a minimum from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. seven days a week and shall respond to calls twenty-four hours a day. Towing companies may be closed on the following holidays, but shall be on call and available for emergency appointments: Christmas, New Year's Day, Fourth of July, Easter, Labor Day, and Memorial Day. ...
Looking for Summit County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Akron city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Summit County →