Business Licensing & Operations in Downey, CA (2026)
8 verified business licensing & operations rules for Downey, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Downey requires an Adult Use Permit from the Planning Commission before any adult business can open, and the code locks in strict distance buffers: 500 feet from residential zones, 1,000 feet from another adult business or an ABC-licensed premises, and 1,000 feet from a church, park, or school. Applications are decided within 45 days under § 9402.06.
Downey Sexually Oriented Business Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsDowney, CA, Municipal Code § 9402.06(f)-(h), (q)
(f) The requested use at the proposed location will not be located within a 500 foot radius to any residential zone or other property used for residential purposes (hereinafter "residential zone")... (g) The requested use at the proposed location will not be located within a 1,000 foot radius of any other adult business or any other premises holding an on-sale license issued by the Department o...
Massage Establishments
Operating a massage establishment in Downey requires a Chief of Police permit under Municipal Code Section 6553.1, on top of a standard business license, and every practitioner on staff must hold current California Massage Therapy Council certification under Section 6553.3. Applicants undergo a criminal background check tied to specific Penal and Health and Safety Code sections before the Chief of Police may issue the permit.
Downey Massage Establishment Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsDowney, CA, Municipal Code §§ 6553.1, 6553.3
No person shall operate any massage establishment within the City without first obtaining a permit for those activities from the Chief of Police or designee. Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, all massage establishment operators, and massage practitioners who work as independent contractors, must obtain a business license from the City of Downey before commencing any commercial act...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Downey requires every body art or tattoo facility to hold a current Los Angeles County Public Health Permit, post age and practitioner certificates, and comply with the state Safe Body Art Act under Municipal Code § 9432.04.
Downey Tattoo & Body Art Facility Rules
Some RestrictionsDowney, CA, Municipal Code § 9432.04
(a) No person shall establish or operate any body art facility without a current and valid Public Health Permit, as issued by the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health. (b) Every body art facility shall have a sign posted on each entrance utilized by patrons stating that no person under the age of 18 years is allowed on site unless accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. ... ...
Tobacco Retail License
Downey confines tobacco retailers to the C-1 and C-2 commercial zones and requires every location to sit at least 1,000 feet from any park, child day care center, or school. The distance is measured property line to property line, and the use is barred outright in the C-P, C-3, C-M and H-M zones.
Downey Tobacco Retailer Zoning Buffer
Significant RestrictionsDowney, CA, Municipal Code § 9314.04, Table 9.3.5 (Commercial Zones Use Regulations, Tobacco Retailer)
Tobacco Retailer NP P P NP NP NP Shall be a minimum of 1,000 feet from any park, child day care center, or school, as measured from the property line of the park, child day care center, or school to the proposed tenant space for the tobacco retailer. All tobacco retailers, as defined in Section 9160 of this article, in operation on or before December 26, 2024 shall be considered "Retail Sales, ...
Secondhand Dealers
Downey requires anyone whose principal business is buying, selling, trading, pawning or consigning used personal property to get a City permit before opening, under Municipal Code Sections 6537.5 and 6542. Secondhand dealers must also report every item acquired to the Police Division within a set deadline and hold it 30 days before resale.
Downey Secondhand Dealer License Rules
Significant RestrictionsDowney, CA, Municipal Code §§ 6537.5, 6542
A "secondhand dealer" is any person whose principal business is primarily that of engaging in buying, selling, trading, taking in pawn, accepting for sale on consignment, accepting for auctioning, or auctioning secondhand personal property. The provisions of this part shall not apply to any identifiable secondhand tangible personal property which has been acquired in good faith as part or compl...
Pawnbrokers
Downey defines a pawnbroker as anyone who loans money against pledged personal property or buys goods with an agreement to resell them back to the seller at a set price, under Municipal Code Section 6537.3, and requires a City permit before opening under Section 6542. Every pawn transaction must be logged with the pawn ticket number and amount loaned and reported to police the next day.
Downey Pawnbroker License Requirements
Significant RestrictionsDowney, CA, Municipal Code §§ 6537.3, 6538.1
A "pawnbroker" is any person engaging in, conducting, managing or carrying on a business of loaning money on the security of personal property pledged in his keeping, or of purchasing personal property, and agreeing at or before the time of purchase to resell the same to the vendor at a stipulated price. ... Such report shall show the number of the pawn ticket, amount loaned, amount of purchase...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Downey allows residents to fix vehicles at home only if the work is on cars registered to that address, or the resident can prove ownership of an out-of-state or unregistered vehicle. Running a for-hire repair shop out of a house is barred as an unpermitted commercial use in any residential zone.
Downey Home Auto Repair Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsDowney, CA, Municipal Code § 9312.08(b)(12) (Residential Zones Property Development Standards, Motor Vehicle Repair)
Motor Vehicle Repair. Motor vehicle repair may be performed under the following conditions: (i) Repair work shall be restricted to only those motor vehicles currently registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles to the address in which the repair work is to be conducted. (ii) In those instances where motor vehicles are not currently registered or are registered in states other th...
Towing Companies
Downey does not let any tow truck operator work on the City's behalf just by asking. Municipal Code Section 6972 requires the City Council to award a nonexclusive towing franchise before a company can perform police-dispatched towing, and the ordinance caps every franchise term at three years while leaving the Council free to deny any application it decides isn't in the public's best interest.
Downey Towing Company Franchise Requirement
Significant RestrictionsDowney, CA, Municipal Code § 6972 (Nonexclusive Franchise)
The City Council may, at its discretion, adopt a resolution granting a franchise to one or more tow truck operators to provide towing services to the City under and pursuant to a franchise agreement and the provisions of this chapter. No persons shall perform towing services for the City unless such person has obtained a franchise from the City Council. ... A franchise granted to a tow truck op...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Downey city rules.
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