Business Licensing & Operations in Green Bay, WI (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Green Bay, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Green Bay requires a City-issued license to operate any sexually-oriented adult entertainment business under Sec. 10-200, on top of Conditional Use zoning approval and Sec. 10-209's 2:00 a.m.–6:00 a.m. closing hours.
Green Bay Adult Entertainment Business License
Significant RestrictionsGreen Bay Municipal Code § 10-200
(a)Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, no adult establishment shall be operated or maintained in the City of Green Bay without first obtaining a license to operate issued by the City of Green Bay.(b)A license may be issued only for one adult establishment located at a fixed and certain place. Any person, partnership, or corporation which desires to operate more than one adult ...
Massage Establishments
Green Bay requires an annual City Clerk license to operate a massage establishment: Sec. 10-95 mandates background checks, a floor plan, $1 million malpractice coverage, and limits hours to 7:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Green Bay Massage Establishment License Rules
Significant RestrictionsGreen Bay Municipal Code § 10-95
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, or other legal entity to cause or permit the operation of a massage establishment ... except in strict compliance with this section. ... No person, corporation, or other legal entity shall cause, or permit the conduct of a massage establishment without having first obtained a license from the City Clerk in accordance with this section. A sepa...
Tobacco Retail License
Green Bay requires a City-adopted license under Wis. Stat. § 134.65 to sell cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or tobacco products, per Municipal Code § 10-89, which incorporates the state retailer-licensing law directly into city ordinance.
Green Bay Tobacco & Vape Retailer License
Some RestrictionsGreen Bay Municipal Code § 10-89
The sale and licensing of cigarettes, electronic vaping devices, and tobacco products in the City shall be regulated pursuant to Wis. Stats. § 134.65. Such section, exclusive of the penalties contained therein, is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this section as though fully set out at length.
Secondhand Dealers
Green Bay requires anyone dealing in secondhand articles, jewelry, or pawnbroking to hold a City license before opening, and folds Wisconsin's pawnbroker and secondhand dealer statute, Wis. Stat. § 134.71, directly into the municipal code. Fees run from $27.50 for a general secondhand article dealer permit up to $210.00 for a pawnbroker license, and licensing decisions rest with the Common Council rather than a single department head.
Green Bay Secondhand Dealer License Rules
Some RestrictionsGreen Bay Municipal Code § 10-1; §§ 10-19, 10-20(b)(5), (c)
Sec. 10-1. - Pawnbrokers and secondhand article and jewelry dealers. Wis. Stats. § 134.71 is hereby adopted and, by reference, made a part of this chapter with the same force and effect as though fully set out herein. Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a violation of this chapter, punishable according to the penalties set forth in Section 1-6. ... Sec....
Pawnbrokers
Green Bay requires a City license before anyone runs a pawnbroker or secondhand-dealer business, issued by the City Clerk with the Chief of Police's approval under Municipal Code §§ 10-1, 10-19(7), and 10-20(b)(6). The license also folds in Wisconsin's pawnbroker statute, § 134.71, as though it were written directly into the City Code.
Green Bay Pawnbroker and Secondhand Dealer License
Some RestrictionsGreen Bay Municipal Code § 10-1; § 10-19(7); § 10-20(b)(6)
Sec. 10-1. Wis. Stats. § 134.71 is hereby adopted and, by reference, made a part of this chapter with the same force and effect as though fully set out herein. Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a violation of this chapter, punishable according to the penalties set forth in Section 1-6. Sec. 10-19: A license shall be required for the sale of each of th...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Green Bay bars a home-based occupation from operating as an auto service or repair business unless every vehicle worked on is registered to a resident of the property. The work has to stay inside the main house or a permitted accessory building, can't spill outside as visible equipment or storage, and any operation that raises fire or hazard risk beyond a typical home can lose its approval under § 44-1587(b), (c), (g) and (o)(4).
Green Bay Home-Based Auto Repair Rules
Significant RestrictionsGreen Bay Municipal Code § 44-1587(b), (c), (g), (o)(4)
(b)A home-based occupation shall not involve the conduct of a retail or wholesale business, a manufacturing business, a commercial food service requiring a license, or auto service or repair for any vehicles other than those registered to residents of the property.(c)A home-based occupation shall be carried on wholly within the main building or within a permitted accessory building. ... (g)Ther...
Towing Companies
Green Bay lets police order a vehicle towed without the owner's consent for blocking traffic, sitting in a reserved space, or violating a posted sign on private property, under Municipal Code § 40-33.
Green Bay Non-Consent Vehicle Towing
Some RestrictionsGreen Bay Municipal Code § 40-33(c), (e)
(c)Towing on private property or parking facility; non-emergency situation. Whenever a motor vehicle is parked on private property or in a parking facility contrary to a sign, in a space reserved for another use or individual, or against the consent of the person in ownership or control over said property, an officer may act under subsection (a) of this section upon verifying the complaint with...
Looking for Brown County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Green Bay city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Brown County →