Business Licensing & Operations in Evansville, IN (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Evansville, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Adult arcades, bookstores, cabarets and theaters are confined to Evansville's C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 zones and must sit at least 1,000 feet from residential property and 500 feet from schools, parks or other adult businesses.
Evansville Adult Business Zoning and Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsEvansville Municipal Code § 18.125.240 (Use Group 21)
(B) In addition to all other requirements of this title, these businesses shall comply with the following restrictions: (1) Shall not be located within 1,000 feet of any property zoned for residential use (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, or R-5); (2) Shall not be located within 500 feet of any property permitted for use as a religious institution or public or private school containing any grade from kinder...
Massage Establishments
Evansville requires a Safety Board-issued massage therapy license before anyone may perform massage for a fee; state-licensed massage therapists are exempt from this local license.
Evansville Massage Therapy License
Some RestrictionsEvansville Municipal Code § 5.50.090(A)
No person shall perform the act of massage therapy for a fee or compensation without having a valid massage therapy license issued by the Safety Board. This article shall not apply to any person licensed by the State of Indiana to perform acts constituting massage therapy hereunder. There shall be two types of massage therapy licenses issued: general massage therapist and limited massage therap...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Evansville tattoo and body-piercing businesses need an annual Vanderburgh County Health Department permit; operators need a separate permit too.
Evansville Tattoo & Body-Piercing Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsEvansville Municipal Code § 5.45.290, § 5.45.300
No person, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, business trust, corporation or any organized group of persons may operate a body art establishment unless it has received a body art establishment permit from the department... The cost for this permit shall be $300.00 as determined by the County Board of Health and shall not be transferable.
Secondhand Dealers
Evansville secondhand merchants must be licensed, report every purchase to police by noon the next day, and hold items 10 business days before resale.
Evansville Secondhand Dealer License
Significant RestrictionsEvansville Municipal Code § 5.30.040
A person engaged in the business of buying and selling secondhand goods shall report to the Evansville Police Department, by noon of the next business day, the following information: (A) Name, address, date of birth, race, sex, and driver’s license or State identification number of the person from whom the item is purchased; (B) Date and time of the transaction; (C) A description of th...
Pawnbrokers
Evansville requires pawnbrokers to hold a City license backed by a $1,000 bond and to log and report every pawn transaction to police within 24 hours.
Evansville Pawnbroker License
Significant RestrictionsEvansville Municipal Code § 5.15.020
No person shall engage in the business of a pawnbroker in the City without first having obtained a license therefor as provided in this title... Every person applying for a pawnbroker’s license shall, before the license is issued, execute a bond payable to the City in the penal sum of $1,000 with good and sufficient surety to be approved by the Controller.
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Evansville, Indiana's closed list of permitted home occupations covers only named office and service professions - auto and vehicle repair is not among them, so running a repair shop from a residential dwelling is not a lawful home occupation.
Evansville Home Auto Repair Not Permitted
Heavy RestrictionsEvansville Municipal Code § 18.30.010(A)(2)(a); § 18.125.050
(a) The home occupation must be conducted entirely within the dwelling by a person who is a resident member of the family residing on the premises, and with no additional employees. ... Offices and services for the following professions and businesses; providing, that there be no sales from the site: (A) Accountant; (B) Architect; (C) Artist; (D) Attorney; (E) Bookkeeper; ... (M) Seamstress or ...
Looking for Vanderburgh County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Evansville city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Vanderburgh County →