Business Licensing & Operations in Gastonia, NC (2026)
3 verified business licensing & operations rules for Gastonia, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Gastonia requires a sexually oriented business license from the police chief before any adult bookstore, adult theater, adult live entertainment venue, or clothing modeling studio can open, and it bars mixing two license classifications in the same building.
Gastonia Sexually Oriented Business License
Significant RestrictionsGastonia City Code § 8-343(a)
No sexually oriented business shall be permitted to operate without a valid sexually oriented business license issued by the chief of police for the particular classification of business. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated a sexually oriented business without said license... In furtherance of the policy of the State of North Carolina, the chief of police shal...
Secondhand Dealers
Gastonia junk dealers must follow state junk-dealer law under G.S. 66-10, hold every purchased item for ten days open to police inspection, and never buy junk from a minor. A conviction can cost the dealer's license.
Gastonia Junk Dealer Holding & Inspection Rules
Some RestrictionsGastonia City Code § 8-236
Every person engaged in the business of a junk dealer as defined in G.S. 66-10 shall comply strictly with the provisions stated therein as well as the provisions of this section. Every article purchased by a junk dealer shall remain at the place of business of the junk dealer for a period of ten days after purchase and shall remain open to inspection by any city police officer during that time....
Towing Companies
Gastonia bars non-consent tows or boots from private lots unless a compliant warning sign is posted first, and requires towed vehicles to be released within 45 minutes, held within one mile of city limits, and available for pickup any time of day or night.
Gastonia Trespass Towing Sign & Notice Rules
Significant RestrictionsGastonia City Code § 8-380(d)-(e)
Any towing service that engages in a trespass tow or any storage yard that receives motor vehicles that have been towed as a result of a non-consensual tow from private property shall have a person on call 24 hours every day who acknowledges requests to retrieve a towed motor vehicle within 15 minutes of receiving an inquiry from the owner or operator of the towed motor vehicle. If the owner or...
Looking for Gaston County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Gastonia city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Gaston County →