Business Licensing & Operations in Fort Lauderdale, FL (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Fort Lauderdale does not license adult entertainment establishments, but it dictates how they operate: any place where staff bare specified anatomical areas must feature a raised stage at least 18 inches high and 100 square feet, and no patron may come within four feet of a partially nude performer. Alcohol-serving venues allowing partial nudity must also sit 750 feet from homes, schools, churches or parks.
Fort Lauderdale Adult Entertainment Buffer Rules
Significant RestrictionsFort Lauderdale, FL, Code of Ordinances Sec. 15-156(b)-(c) (Adult entertainment establishments); Sec. 5-28(b) (Location of establishments permitting partial nudity)
(b)Adult entertainment establishments shall provide the following:(1)It shall have a stage provided for the display or exposure of specified anatomical areas, or simulation thereof, by an employee or independent contractor to a person other than another employee or independent contractor consisting of a permanent platform (or other similar permanent structure) raised a minimum of eighteen (18) ...
Massage Establishments
Fort Lauderdale requires a business tax receipt for every massage establishment: $73.50 per year for the salon itself, plus a separate $20 receipt for each massage therapist working inside it. The salon receipt requires a valid state license, and Sec. 15-32(b) lets the Business Tax Division audit staffing and service records to confirm the correct fee tier.
Fort Lauderdale Massage Establishment License
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale, FL, Code of Ordinances ch. 15, Sec. 15-57 (Business tax fee schedule - Massage Salon); Sec. 15-32(b)
MASSAGE SALON: Each establishment (requires license from the state $73.50 MASSAGE SALON: Each massage therapist located in a salon/spa (This subcategory must comply with the requirements of section 15-32(b) of this Code.) $20.00
Tattoo & Body Modification
Fort Lauderdale has no stand-alone tattoo permit chapter; instead, Sec. 15-57 taxes a tattoo parlor as a Services Supergroup business at $157.50 and separately taxes each artist and body piercer at $105.00. A shop with several artists or piercers owes the parlor fee plus $105 for every individually taxed practitioner working there.
Fort Lauderdale Tattoo Parlor Business Tax Rule
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 15, sec. 15-57 (Code 1953, § 23-40; last amended by Ord. No. C-25-21, § 1, 6-3-25)
TATTOO PARLOR (see also Artist and Body Piercing Artist) ... ARTIST (Each artist is taxed individually. The category includes retouching, sketching, and cartooning.) $105.00 ... BODY PIERCING ARTIST (Each artist is taxed individually.) $105.00
Tobacco Retail License
Fort Lauderdale bars tobacco and vape retailers from selling to anyone under 21, requires ID checks and a posted warning sign, and bans self-service display of e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine unless the store restricts entry to adults. Article VIII, adopted in 2019, escalates penalties from a warning to $1,000 per violation.
Fort Lauderdale Tobacco and Vape Retail Rules
Significant RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 16, art. VIII, §§ 16-146, 16-149 (Ord. No. C-19-21, § 2, 9-12-19)
Sec. 16-146. - Prohibitions. It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, give away, or deliver any tobacco product, to any person under the age of twenty-one (21) years. If any person suspects that a minor is attempting to purchase or obtain any tobacco product, such person shall request and examine identification from the purchaser or acquirer and positively establish the purc...
Secondhand Dealers
Fort Lauderdale requires anyone buying, selling or trading secondhand goods, such as jewelry, electronics, tools or musical instruments, to hold a $250 annual city license under chapter 15, article VI. Licensees must keep detailed, ink-written transaction records with a photo ID, a second ID and the seller's thumbprint, and mail copies to the police chief within 48 hours.
Fort Lauderdale Secondhand Dealer License Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale, FL, Code of Ordinances Sec. 15-201, Sec. 15-221, Sec. 15-206 (Secondhand Dealers)
Sec. 15-221. Required. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in business as a secondhand dealer in the city without first obtaining a license to do so from the city. ... Sec. 15-223. Fees. The fee for a license required by the provisions of this division shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). ... Sec. 15-206: It shall be unlawful for a secondhand dealer or any of his employees to...
Pawnbrokers
Fort Lauderdale treats pawnbrokers as a category of secondhand dealer and makes them hold pawned gold, silver, platinum, jewelry, gems and other precious stones for 10 working days, and every other pawned item for 20 working days, before sale or disposal, unless the original pledgor redeems it first. Pawnbrokers also pay a $250 annual police inspection fee.
Fort Lauderdale Pawnbroker Holding Period Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale, FL, Code of Ordinances Sec. 15-204, Sec. 15-207 (Pawnbrokers/Secondhand Dealers)
Sec. 15-204(a): Gold, silver, platinum, or other precious metal and jewelry, diamonds, gems and other precious stones shall be held by the secondhand dealer for a period of ten (10) working days prior to sale, exchange, or other disposition thereof. All other property covered by this article, except for firearms and ammunition acquired in the course of a secondhand dealer's business shall be he...
Towing Companies
Private lots and garages that immobilize or tow vehicles in Fort Lauderdale cannot get a city license on their own: Code section 26-247 sends every property owner and tow contractor to Broward County Code section 20-176.13 first, and proof of that county-approved license has to stay posted at the parking facility at all times.
Fort Lauderdale Towing License Needs County Sign-Off
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 26, art. IX, § 26-247 (Ord. No. C-18-17, § 1, 7-10-18)
(a)All property owners, immobilization and tow contractors must follow section 20-176.13 of the Broward County Code of Ordinances in order to be issued an immobilization or license.(b)Proof of the immobilization or tow license must be located at the parking facility at all times.
Looking for Broward County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Lauderdale city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Broward County →