Business Licensing & Operations in Grand Prairie, TX (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Grand Prairie, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Operating a sexually oriented business in Grand Prairie without a city license is a criminal offense. The chief of police issues licenses only for locations inside a planned development zoning district that permits the use, charges a $500 nonrefundable fee per application or renewal, and can deny, suspend, or revoke a license over criminal history, prostitution, or unpaid taxes.
Grand Prairie Sexually Oriented Business License
Significant RestrictionsGrand Prairie Code of Ordinances § 22-3
(a)Required.(1)A person commits an offense if he or she operates a sexually oriented business without a valid license for that location issued by the city for the particular type of business.(2)An application for a license must be made on a form provided by the police department. The application must be accompanied by a sketch or diagram showing the configuration of the premises, including a st...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Every tattoo or body piercing studio in Grand Prairie needs a Texas Department of State Health Services license plus a city Certificate of Occupancy, and it can't sit within 300 feet of a church, school or residential district, or within 1,000 feet of another studio. Section 11.14.1 also caps studios in the CA zoning district at two and bars hours past midnight.
Grand Prairie Tattoo & Piercing Studio Rules
Significant RestrictionsGrand Prairie Unified Development Code art. 11, § 11.14.1(A)-(D)
A. A Studio shall operate only with a valid license issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services and subject to inspection by the State Department or its affiliates. Tattoo Studios are also subject to licensure and inspection by the City of Grand Prairie; B. A Studio shall not be located within 300 feet of a church, school, or residential zoning district, or with 1,000 feet of anothe...
Tobacco Retail License
Grand Prairie issues no separate city tobacco or vape retail license; that permit comes from the state. Instead Sec. 13-137 bars retailers from placing tobacco or e-cigarette vending machines where anyone under 21 can reach them and from letting customers grab products off an open shelf unless minors are excluded entirely, while Sec. 13-139 keeps under-18s out of vapor lounges.
Grand Prairie Tobacco & Vape Retailer Rules
Some RestrictionsGrand Prairie Code of Ordinances §§ 13-137(a), (f), 13-139
(a)It shall be unlawful for any business owner, manager, or employee in control of the premises where a tobacco product or electronic smoking device vending machine is located to have the product vending machine located in an area accessible to an individual under the age of twenty-one (21) years. ... (f)A retailer or other person may not offer tobacco products or electronic smoking devices for...
Secondhand Dealers
Grand Prairie requires anyone selling junk or secondhand goods, other than a business with a permanent local storefront, to hold a city license under Sec. 19-20, pay a $25 annual fee, and post a $1,000 bond. Sec. 19-27 forces dealers to hold purchased items unaltered for ten days before resale.
Grand Prairie Junk & Secondhand Dealer License
Some RestrictionsGrand Prairie Code of Ordinances §§ 19-20, 19-22, 19-23
(a)No junk or secondhand dealer shall transact or engage in the business of selling junk or secondhand goods within the city until such person shall have obtained a license therefor, which license may be procured by meeting the requirements contained in this article....(a)Junk dealers shall pay an annual license fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) to the city.(b)Secondhand dealers shall pay an ...
Pawnbrokers
Grand Prairie defines pawnbrokers by ordinance in Sec. 19-1 and restricts their operating hours in Sec. 19-3 to 8:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. on weekdays, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. on Saturdays, with Sundays closed entirely. Sec. 19-2 requires detailed pawn-ticket recordkeeping open to police inspection.
Grand Prairie Pawnbroker License & Hours
Some RestrictionsGrand Prairie Code of Ordinances §§ 19-1, 19-3
(a)Pawnbroker means any person engaged in the business of lending money on the security of pledged goods, or engaged in the business of purchasing tangible personal property on conditions that it may be redeemed or repurchased by the seller for a fixed price within a fixed period of time....It shall be unlawful for any person owning or operating a pawnbroking establishment to keep open such per...
Towing Companies
Grand Prairie requires every wrecker operator to hold a $20-per-truck permit from the chief of police under Code of Ordinances Sec. 27-62 before towing on city streets. Permits list every operator and vehicle, run through June 30 each year, and require liability, cargo and on-hook insurance that scales with the truck's weight class.
Grand Prairie Wrecker Service Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsGrand Prairie Code of Ordinances § 27-62
(a)Permit required. No person shall operate a wrecker upon the streets of tile city without first obtaining a permit as hereinafter provided from the chief of police.(b)Application for permit. Application for a permit hereunder shall be made to the chief of police and shall contain:(1)Name, home address and business address of applicant;(2)The names and addresses of all operators to be utilized...
Looking for Dallas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Grand Prairie city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Dallas County →