Business Licensing & Operations in Decatur, AL (2026)
5 verified business licensing & operations rules for Decatur, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
The City of Decatur, Alabama prohibits the operation of a sexually oriented business in the city and its police jurisdiction. Chapter 2.6 defines eleven covered business types, from adult arcades and cabarets to escort agencies, and sets no spacing distances or permit route. Violations are misdemeanors punishable under Sec. 1-8.
Sexually Oriented Business Ban in Decatur, Alabama
Heavy RestrictionsDecatur City Code §§ 2.6-3, 2.6-5, 2.6-14
Operation of a sexually oriented business as defined in this chapter is prohibited in the city and its police jurisdiction. ... Any sexually oriented business operating from the effective date of this chapter shall be deemed a non-complying business. A noncomplying business shall not expand the prohibited activities, materials or inventory but is granted a maximum period of one (1) year from th...
Secondhand Dealers
Section 16-20 of the Decatur City Code makes anyone buying precious metals or precious stones in the city or its police jurisdiction notify the chief of police by letter before starting, keep a purchase book for six months, hold each purchase 15 days, and file daily reports. It is a notice and recordkeeping rule, not a license fee.
Decatur, Alabama Precious Metals Buyer Rules
Some RestrictionsDecatur City Code § 16-20
(b)Police notified. Any person within the corporate limits or the police jurisdiction of the city who engages in the business of purchasing precious metals or precious stones, or any person who purchases precious metals or precious stones, pursuant to an advertisement wherein the proposed purchaser holds himself out as such purchaser or offers to buy said precious metals or precious stones, sha...
Pawnbrokers
A pawnbroker or title loan business in the City of Decatur, Alabama, must hold its State of Alabama license and pay a city license of $350 plus one-twentieth of one percent of gross annual receipts under § 14-38(53). Zoning is tighter: the B-2 district allows these businesses only with a 1,500-foot separation, and the B-1 and B-5 districts prohibit them.
Pawnbroker and Title Loan Licensing in Decatur, Alabama
Significant RestrictionsDecatur City Code § 14-38(53)
(53)PAWNBROKER/ TITLE LOAN LICENSEE. Each person, firm, or corporation engaged in business as a pawnbroker and/or title loan licensee and duly licensed by the State of Alabama as such shall pay a license as follows . ... .350.00 Plus one-twentieth ( 1/20 ) of one (1) percent of gross annual receipts. This schedule shall not include the business of selling or renting items that are not taken out...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
In the City of Decatur, Alabama, minor or major auto repair is on the list of uses that shall not be home occupations in residential districts. The same list bars painting of vehicles, trailers or boats, small engine repairs and welding shops, and it reaches other uses similar to those listed.
Decatur Auto Repair as Home Occupation Ban
Heavy RestrictionsDecatur City Code § 25-144
(a)The following uses by the nature of the investment or operation have a pronounced tendency once started to rapidly increase beyond the limits permitted for home occupations and thereby impair the use and value of residentially zoned property for residential purposes. Therefore the uses specified below shall not be home occupations:(1)Minor or major auto repair;(2)Barber shop, beauty shop, ha...
Towing Companies
In the City of Decatur, Alabama, wrecker operators need a city business license and a police-issued inspection permit for every truck. Operators on the police rotation list cannot charge more than $200 to tow a wrecked or disabled vehicle of 10,000 pounds or less, and storage is free for 24 hours, then $40 per day.
Decatur, AL Wrecker License, Rotation and Towing Rates
Significant RestrictionsDecatur City Code § 24.5-55
The maximum fees for wrecker services provided by any wrecker service operator on the rotation list in regard to services provided as a result of a rotation system dispatch shall not exceed the following amounts per wrecker, unless otherwise indicated: (1)Towing of wrecked or disabled vehicle: Two-axle vehicle weighing 10,000 lbs. or less—$200.00.(2)Towing of wrecked or disabled vehicle: Two-ax...