Business Licensing & Operations in Chattanooga, TN (2026)
5 verified business licensing & operations rules for Chattanooga, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Chattanooga requires a city license, with background checks, fingerprints, and a criminal-history bar, to operate an adult-oriented establishment, and zoning keeps them at least 500 feet from homes, schools, and parks.
Chattanooga adult-oriented establishment license
Significant RestrictionsChattanooga City Code § 11-423
Except as provided in subsection (e) below, from and after the effective date of this article, no adult-oriented establishment shall be operated or maintained in the City of Chattanooga without first obtaining a license to operate issued by the City of Chattanooga.(b)A license may be issued only for one (1) adult-oriented establishment located at a fixed and certain place. Any person, partnersh...
Massage Establishments
Chattanooga bars anyone from establishing, maintaining or operating a massage parlor without a permit from the city treasurer, and requires every massage technician to hold both a separate technician permit and a health card. Permits run through a police background check, cost a $50 investigation fee, and can be suspended or revoked for sex-offense convictions or false statements.
Chattanooga Massage Establishment License
Significant RestrictionsChattanooga City Code §§ 11-307, 11-308
Sec. 11-307. - Massage parlor permit—Required. It shall be unlawful for any person to establish, maintain or operate a massage parlor in the city without a valid permit issued pursuant to this article or any prior ordinance. (Code 1986, § 11-307) Sec. 11-308. - Same—Application; renewals; fees. (a) Any person desiring a massage parlor permit to establish, maintain or operate a massage parlor in...
Secondhand Dealers
Chattanooga requires junkyards and junk shops to get a certificate of occupancy approved by city council vote, and makes secondhand and junk dealers keep a purchase register and report daily to police.
Chattanooga secondhand & junk dealer permits
Some RestrictionsChattanooga City Code § 11-227
No junkyard or junk shop shall be established or opened on any lot or yard or in any building in the city without a certificate of occupancy. Application for such certificate shall be made to the building inspector, who shall not issue any such certificate until such application has been presented to the city council at a regular meeting, and the issuance of such certificate has been authorized...
Pawnbrokers
Chattanooga pawnbrokers must hold a valid Tennessee pawnbroker license displayed for police inspection, log every pawn transaction with the pledgor's ID, and keep set hours: no pawn deals on Sunday.
Chattanooga pawnbroker operating rules
Some RestrictionsChattanooga City Code § 11-242
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in business as a pawnbroker, to operate a pawnshop or to engage in any activity subject to regulation by this article without first obtaining a valid license from the State of Tennessee. All persons engaged in activities subject to regulation by this article shall have their license clearly displayed and open for inspection by the Chattanooga Police...
Towing Companies
Chattanooga caps non-consent tows from private property at $125 for vehicles under 7,000 pounds, requires signed property-owner authorization before towing, and makes wrecker operators notify police within one hour of every tow.
Chattanooga Non-Consent Towing Rules
Some RestrictionsChattanooga City Code § 35-171(a)
It is unlawful for any person, or the person's agent, to move or cause to be moved, any motor vehicle located on private property, from the property, if the owner of the motor vehicle has acquired any interest in the private property by virtue of a lease or any contract, without the express consent of the owner of the motor vehicle.
Looking for Hamilton County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Chattanooga city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Hamilton County →