Business Licensing & Operations in Birmingham, AL (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Birmingham, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Birmingham requires a permit from the Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits before any adult bookstore, cabaret, or adult theater can open, and bars these adult establishments within 750 feet of homes, schools, parks, churches, or historic districts, and within 1,500 feet of another adult establishment, under the zoning ordinance's adult establishment regulations.
Birmingham Adult Business Permit & 750-Ft Buffer
Significant RestrictionsBirmingham Code of Ordinances, Appendix D (Zoning Ordinance), Article VI, Section 11, Subsections 5, 6, and 7
5.Permit required. No adult establishment, as defined by this subsection, shall be constructed, established, or operated by any person without first obtaining a permit from the director of the department of planning, engineering and permits, which permit shall certify that such adult establishment complies with the requirements of subsection (6) of this section.6.Locational requirements. All di...
Massage Establishments
Birmingham requires every massage parlor to hold a city business license before opening, priced on a sliding scale of gross receipts, plus a per-worker fee for each masseur or attendant. Section 12-12-24 sets the base license at $100 a year on receipts under $10,000, rising with three percent of receipts above that.
Birmingham Massage Parlor License Rules
Significant RestrictionsBirmingham Code of Ordinances § 12-12-24
(a)No massage parlor shall be opened to members of the public or operated for any other purpose without the owner thereof first having obtained a business license as hereinafter provided from the city, which such business license shall contain thereon the name of each masseur, masseuse or attendant employed for such purpose by such licensed business.(b)Every owner, proprietor or operator of a m...
Tobacco Retail License
Any retail dealer in Birmingham selling tobacco products, whether or not tobacco is the main stock in trade, must hold a city business license under Schedule 238 of the Code of Ordinances. The tax equals two-tenths of one percent of the prior year's gross receipts, with a $300 minimum, and the Revenue Division will not issue the license without a current Alabama ABC Board tobacco permit.
Birmingham Tobacco Retail License Required
Some RestrictionsBirmingham Code of Ordinances, Appendix A (Schedule of Business Licenses), Schedule 238 (Tobacco Products, Retail)
SCHEDULE 238. TOBACCO PRODUCTS. RETAIL. Each retail dealer engaged in the sale of tobacco products, whether or not principal stock in trade, and not including cigarettes, shall pay a license in an amount equal to two-tenths of one percent of gross receipts from said business from the previous year with a minimum license in any case of: $300.00. [The term] "tobacco products" means all products...
Secondhand Dealers
Birmingham requires every secondhand dealer to log each purchase, sale, or exchange of used goods, check the seller's photo ID, and report the day's transactions to police by noon under Chapter 12-13. Dealers must hold goods 15 business days (21 days for vehicles) before resale and cannot buy from anyone under 19.
Birmingham Secondhand Dealer Recordkeeping Rules
Some RestrictionsBirmingham Code of Ordinances §§ 12-13-1, 12-13-2
Secondhand dealer means any person operating any store, shop or place of business where secondhand goods are bought, sold, exchanged or bartered; provided that this definition shall not include a "secondhand tire dealer," as defined in section 12-13-31. ... (a)It shall be the duty of each secondhand dealer and each pawnbroker to keep at his or her place of business a record of all transactions ...
Pawnbrokers
Birmingham licenses pawnbrokers and pawnbroker's agents under Schedule 189 of the Appendix A business license schedule, charging two-tenths of one percent of gross receipts with a $900 minimum license each year. The city's general license article separately makes it unlawful to engage in the pawnbroking business at all without first obtaining that license.
Birmingham Pawnbroker Business License Fee
Some RestrictionsBirmingham Code of Ordinances, Appendix A (Schedule of Business Licenses), Schedule 189
SCHEDULE 189. PAWN BROKERS OR PAWN BROKER'S AGENT. Each person, firm or corporation doing business as pawn brokers or pawn broker's agents shall pay a license of two-tenths of one percent of gross receipts with a minimum license in any case of: $900.00.
Towing Companies
Birmingham requires every towing and vehicle immobilization service to hold a city license before booting or towing a vehicle without the owner's consent. City Code caps what a licensed tow operator can charge: $160.00 to tow a small vehicle, $300.00 for a large vehicle, and $10.00 per 24-hour storage period, with the first day free, and enforcement runs through the police department.
Birmingham Non-Consent Tow Fee Caps & License
Significant RestrictionsBirmingham Code of Ordinances § 12-19-75(a)-(b)
(a)Charges imposed for the towing, storage, and safekeeping of any vehicle removed, towed, or stored without the consent of its owner shall not be in excess of the maximum charges provided for in this section.(b)The maximum fees that may be charged for the towing of motor vehicles and for the storage of such towed vehicles are as follows:(1)For the towing of a small vehicle, as defined in secti...
Looking for Jefferson County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Birmingham city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Jefferson County →