Business Licensing & Operations in Dearborn, MI (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Dearborn, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Dearborn's Zoning Ordinance lists adult entertainment establishments as a regulated use, blocking a second one within 1,200 feet of another and barring any of them within 700 feet of a residential zone or school.
Dearborn Adult Entertainment Zoning Buffers
Significant RestrictionsDearborn Zoning Ordinance § 7.05.A, 7.05.E.1
The establishment of the following kinds of uses is prohibited if the establishment of any one of the following uses constitutes the second such use within a one thousand two-hundred (1,200) foot radius: ...7. Adult entertainment establishment... It shall be unlawful to hereafter establish any regulated use if the proposed regulated use will be within a seven hundred (700) foot radius of a resi...
Massage Establishments
Dearborn zoning treats massage parlors as a regulated adult use: operators must get zoning administrator approval and stay 1,200 feet from any other regulated use, unless every therapist is state-certified.
Dearborn Massage Establishment Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsDearborn Zoning Ordinance §§ 1.03 (definitions), 7.05.A.10, 7.05.B (Regulated Uses)
constitutes the second such use within a one thousand two-hundred (1,200) foot radius: ... 10. Massage parlor or massage establishment not including state-certified massage therapists or practitioners; ... Application to establish any of the above regulated uses shall be made to the zoning administrator, who shall not approve any such application if there are already in existence two (2) or mor...
Tobacco Retail License
Selling cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, vapor products or alternative nicotine products in Dearborn requires a $500 annual city license. The police chief investigates every applicant's character and criminal record before the city clerk will issue it, and license holders must display it and verify buyer age at sale.
Dearborn Tobacco Retailer License Rules
Significant RestrictionsDearborn Code of Ordinances §§ 12-325–12-329
All applications for a license hereunder shall be referred to the chief of police or their designee for investigation as to the reputation, character and police record of the applicant and whether such person is suitable to be entrusted with the sale of articles mentioned in section 12-326... The following shall be considered a disqualifying criminal act and result in the denial of an applicati...
Secondhand Dealers
Buying or reselling secondhand jewelry, silverware, or gold, silver, and platinum items in Dearborn requires a city clerk license, plus ID checks, a police-inspectable transaction ledger, and a mandatory holding period before any purchased item can be resold.
Dearborn Secondhand Dealer License
Significant RestrictionsDearborn Code of Ordinances §§ 12-386, 12-387
The term "secondhand dealer" as used in this article shall mean any person, corporation or member or members of a co-partnership or firm whose principal business is that of purchasing, storing, selling, exchanging and receiving secondhand personal property of any kind or description. (Ord. No. 92-551, § 1, 1-5-93) Sec. 12-387. - License required. No person, corporation or firm shall engage i...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Dearborn's Zoning Ordinance lets a homeowner use a private garage for minor vehicle repairs or hobbies, but bars any commercial repair business, commercial inventory storage, or leasing that garage to a business or trade.
Dearborn Home Auto Repair Limits
Significant RestrictionsDearborn Zoning Ordinance § 2.03.A.6, A.10(f), (h), (i)
Attached and detached accessory buildings or structures in residential districts shall not be used as dwelling units or for any business, profession, trade or occupation... any such garage shall be used primarily for the storage of vehicles and for incidental household storage only... basic electrical service incidental to the use of the garage for minor repairs or hobbies is permitted... No ga...
Towing Companies
Dearborn tow operators need the vehicle owner's consent or police authorization to pull a car off a public street, and non-consent tows from private property come with strict notice, fee, and insurance requirements.
Dearborn Non-Consent Towing Rules
Significant RestrictionsDearborn Code of Ordinances § 18-814
It shall be unlawful for any wrecker and towing service or operator to tow or otherwise move a vehicle from any area or portion of a public street without either the consent of the owner or custodian of such vehicle or authorization by a policeman or other designated official of the city.
Looking for Wayne County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dearborn city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Wayne County →