Business Licensing & Operations in Evanston, IL (2026)
3 verified business licensing & operations rules for Evanston, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tattoo & Body Modification
Tattoo studios in Evanston must hold a City-issued license, pass health inspections, and follow strict sanitation, sterilization, and record-keeping rules, and only licensed physicians may tattoo anyone under eighteen.
Evanston Tattoo Facility License
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 8-21-9
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a tattoo facility within the City without first having obtained a license for that purpose, issued by the City Manager or his/her designee.(B)License Application. Any person desiring to keep or maintain any tattoo facility, as defined in this Chapter, shall make written application for a license, setting forth the location and description of the pr...
Tobacco Retail License
Evanston bars selling tobacco or liquid nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, within 150 feet of any school and bans flavored vape and tobacco products outright, on top of the citywide retail license.
Evanston Vape Retail Zoning Rules
Heavy RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 3-14-5
It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, give away, or deliver tobacco or liquid nicotine products within one hundred fifty (150) feet as measured from lot line to lot line of any high school, middle school or elementary school except for the Park School and Rice Children's Center of the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Special Schools and Centers and private educational i...
Pawnbrokers
Evanston caps pawnbroker licenses at two citywide, requires a $125 annual fee, a $2,000 surety bond, and Chief of Police oversight of applications, daily transaction records, and minors are barred from pawning goods.
Evanston Pawnbroker License Limit
Significant RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 3-10-3
No person shall have or keep for profit within the City, any pawnbroker's establishment, without first obtaining a license therefor as hereinafter provided. Each such license shall terminate one (1) year from the date of issuance. Any licensee may request renewal of his/her license at the expiration thereof, provided he/she is then qualified to receive a license and the premises for which su...
Looking for Cook County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Evanston city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Cook County →