Business Licensing & Operations in Auburn, AL (2026)
5 verified business licensing & operations rules for Auburn, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Auburn bars adult entertainment facilities, adult bookstores, escort agencies, and unlicensed massage parlors alike from operating within 500 feet of any residentially zoned area, 1,000 feet of a school, library, or church serving minors, or 1,000 feet of another adult facility. Operators and every employee must also hold a separate license under § 12-251.1.
Auburn Adult Entertainment Facility License
Significant RestrictionsAuburn, AL Code of Ordinances § 12-251
(a)No adult entertainment facility shall be established within five hundred (500) feet of any area zoned for any residential use.(b)No adult entertainment facility shall be established within a radius of one thousand (1,000) feet of any school, library, or teaching facility, whether public or private, governmental or commercial, which school, library or teaching facility is attended by persons ...
Secondhand Dealers
Auburn requires every pawnbroker and secondhand dealer to obtain a license from the city manager and pay a $500 annual license tax before buying, trading, or taking in pawn any secondhand goods. Dealers must register with the police chief within five days of opening and hold purchased items for 96 hours before resale.
Auburn Pawnbroker & Secondhand Dealer License
Significant RestrictionsAuburn, AL Code of Ordinances §§ 12-221, 12-222
It shall be unlawful for anyone to conduct, purchase, or operate as a licensee, pawn broker or second hand dealer by purchasing or receiving in pawn any tangible item of personal property including, but not limited to second hand goods as defined above within the city without first paying to the city manager the license tax herein described and procuring a license from the designated officer of...
Pawnbrokers
Auburn requires pawnbrokers, second-hand dealers and precious-metals buyers to hold a $500 annual business license approved by both the public safety director and the planning director, then register with the police chief within 5 days of opening under Sec. 12-17(b) Category 17 and Sec. 12-203.
Auburn Pawnbroker Business License Requirement
Significant RestrictionsAuburn, AL Code of Ordinances §§ 12-17(b) Category 17, 12-203
Category 17: Money Lenders/Brokers, Pawn Shops and Dealers in Precious Metals. Annual business license fee is hereby set at a fixed rate of five hundred dollars ($500.00). No business license shall be issued unless the license application or renewal application has been reviewed and approved by the director of the city public safety department and the director of the city planning department. ...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Auburn's Zoning Ordinance flatly prohibits running a vehicle repair operation out of a home: Section 511.04(B)(13) bars on-site repair of vehicles as a home occupation in every residential district.
Auburn Bans On-Site Vehicle Repair as Home Business
Heavy RestrictionsAuburn, AL Zoning Ordinance § 511.04(B)(13)
13. The on-site repair of vehicles shall be prohibited as a home occupation.
Towing Companies
Auburn licenses wheel-locking and towing companies under City Code Article XIII, capping fees at $75 to wheel lock and $125 to tow from private property. Lots must post specific signage, and companies must hold at least $750,000 in liability coverage and release vehicles within an hour of a request.
Auburn Nonconsensual Towing and Wheel Lock Law
Some RestrictionsAuburn City Code § 12-277
No additional fees shall be charged for wheel locking/towing which are not identified herein. All wheel locking/towing companies licensed by the city and operating under the provisions of this article shall adhere to the following schedule of maximum service fees: Maximum wheel locking fee: .....$75.00 Maximum towing fee: .....$125.00 Vehicle storage time fee: First 24 hours following the tow ....
Looking for Lee County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Auburn city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Lee County →