Business Licensing & Operations in Fresno, CA (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Fresno, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Fresno requires a Conditional Use Permit for any Adult-Oriented Business and keeps them at least 1,000 feet from residential districts, schools, parks, religious institutions, and other adult businesses. Operating hours are capped at 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Fresno Adult Business Spacing and Hours Rules
Significant RestrictionsFresno Municipal Code § 15-2705(D)(1), (D)(2)
Adult-Oriented Businesses shall be located the following minimum distances: ... From any Residential District or existing residence: 1,000 feet. ... From another Adult-Oriented Business: 1,000 feet. This minimum separation requirement shall not apply to businesses forced to relocate due to a public taking of property for a public infrastructure project. ... Hours of operation of the business sh...
Massage Establishments
Fresno bars anyone from practicing massage for compensation, or operating a massage business, without CAMTC certification and a City Registration Certificate, under FMC Sec. 9-1603. Landlords who knowingly host an unregistered massage business are also liable.
Fresno Massage Business Registration Rules
Significant RestrictionsFresno Municipal Code § 9-1603(a), (b)
It is unlawful for any individual to practice Massage for compensation as a sole proprietorship or Employee of a Massage Business or in any other capacity within the city unless that individual is a Certified Massage Practitioner... It is unlawful for any Massage Business to operate within the city unless all individuals employed to perform Massage... are Certified Massage Practitioners and the...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Fresno regulates tattoo and body modification businesses under FMC § 15-2758, requiring registration with the Fresno County Department of Health and a posted notice barring anyone under 18 from the premises unless accompanied by a parent or documented legal guardian.
Fresno Tattoo & Body Modification Rules
Some RestrictionsFresno Municipal Code (Citywide Development Code) Sec. 15-2758
It is the purpose and intent of these standards to regulate the operation of facilities that perform tattooing and body modification to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the public and ensure compliance with California Health and Safety Code Section 119300 et seq. A. Registration Required. Any person who is engaged in the business of tattooing or body modification shall provide evi...
Tobacco Retail License
Fresno limits Smoke Shops to seven per City Council District and requires every new one to win a Conditional Use Permit under Fresno Municipal Code Section 15-2761. New shops also can't sit within 1,000 feet of another Smoke Shop or within 1,000 feet of a park, school, or drug-treatment facility.
Fresno Caps Smoke Shops at 7 Per District
Significant RestrictionsFresno Municipal Code § 15-2761(D), (F)
Up to seven Smoke Shops may operate in each City Council District. ... Any New Smoke Shop established after the effective date of this section shall obtain a Conditional Use Permit as provided herein and shall comply with all requirements of this section. ... The Smoke Shop shall not be located within 1,000 feet of the following: A public park, playground, recreational area including a trail th...
Secondhand Dealers
Fresno requires a Police Chief-issued permit before anyone buys, sells, or trades secondhand goods, or operates as a pawnbroker, under FMC § 9-607. Dealers must file daily transaction reports, hold merchandise fifteen days, and close during set hours: controls built to trace stolen property moving through resale channels.
Fresno Secondhand Dealer & Pawnbroker Permits
Some RestrictionsFresno Municipal Code § 9-607
No person shall engage in, conduct, manage or carry on the business of pawnbroker or secondhand dealer without having a valid, existing and unrevoked permit therefor. Such permit shall be issued by the Police Chief upon application therefor.
Pawnbrokers
Fresno bars anyone from operating as a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer without a Police Chief-issued permit under FMC § 9-607, and Article 6 layers on strict operating rules: a mandatory 15-day resale hold on every item, a daily written report to the Chief of Police, and fixed business hours that close the shop on Sundays and most legal holidays.
Fresno Pawnbroker and Secondhand Dealer Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsFresno Municipal Code §§ 9-606, 9-607, 9-609 (Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Dealers)
SEC. 9-607. - PERMIT REQUIRED. No person shall engage in, conduct, manage or carry on the business of pawnbroker or secondhand dealer without having a valid, existing and unrevoked permit therefor. Such permit shall be issued by the Police Chief upon application therefor. ... SEC. 9-606. - FIFTEEN DAY HOLDING PERIOD. All goods, wares and merchandise ... purchased or received by any pawnbroker o...
Towing Companies
Fresno dispatches tow trucks for police-ordered tows strictly from a rotation list capped at 20 companies under FMC Sec. 9-1707, with companies vetted by background investigation, bound to charge only reasonable fees, and subject to suspension for violating the Non-Professional Tow Agreement.
Fresno Police Tow Truck Rotation Rules
Some RestrictionsFresno Municipal Code § 9-1707(f)
The rotation list already consists of 20 or more tow companies. This does not preclude the Chief of Police or Designee at any time the ability to add a Tow Operator(s), if it is determined there is a need to better serve the community.
Looking for Fresno County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fresno city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Fresno County →