Business Licensing & Operations in Hackensack, NJ (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Hackensack, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Massage Establishments
Hackensack requires every massage establishment to hold a Health Department license under City Code Chapter 111 before offering any massage or bodywork service. The initial application costs $500, annual renewal is $250, and no new establishment can open within 1,000 feet of an existing one. Owners and therapists both undergo a Police Department background check, and violations bring penalties under § 1-15 plus possible license suspension or revocation.
Hackensack Massage Establishment License Rules
Significant RestrictionsHackensack City Code §§ 111-3 and 111-16
§ 111-3. Licensing of massage establishments; fees. No massage establishment shall operate or provide massage services within the City of Hackensack without obtaining a license from the Health Department in accordance with the provisions set forth hereunder and as set forth in Chapter 107, Licenses and Permits. ... A complete application, as provided by the Health Department of the City of Hack...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Operating a tattoo, body piercing or permanent cosmetics business in Hackensack requires a license from the City Health Officer under Chapter 67, governed by New Jersey's Sanitation Code standards for the trade. The license application carries a $200 fee, and establishments or individuals who pierce ear lobes only are exempt from the licensing requirement entirely.
Hackensack Tattoo and Body Piercing License
Some RestrictionsHackensack City Code §§ 67-1, 67-2, 67-4
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of or operate an establishment where body piercing, ear piercing, tattooing or the application of permanent cosmetics is performed, as those terms are defined in, and governed by, Chapter VIII of the New Jersey State Sanitation Code, N.J.A.C. 8:27-1, et seq., without first obtaining a license from the Health Officer to engage in such...
Tobacco Retail License
Hackensack requires any establishment that sells electronic smoking devices, including e-cigarettes, vape pens and related products, to hold an annual license from the City before opening. Effective August 1, 2019, the license costs $1,200 a year, expires every December 31, and cannot be transferred to a new owner or location. The Health Department and Police Department enforce it, with fines up to $2,500 per violation.
Hackensack Vape Retailer Licensing Rule
Some RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 90-62
Effective August 1, 2019, no person shall conduct, maintain or operate an establishment that sells electronic smoking devices without first obtaining from the City of Hackensack a license to do so. ... The annual fee for a license to sell an electronic smoking device shall be $1,200 and shall expire on the 31st day of December of each year, unless otherwise forfeited or revoked pursuant to this...
Secondhand Dealers
Hackensack requires anyone dealing in secondhand jewelry, coins, or old gold to hold a license from the Chief of Police, approved by the City Manager, under City Code Chapter 102. Dealers must fingerprint applicants, keep daily transaction records, and report to police every day before 11:00 a.m.
Hackensack Secondhand Jewelry Dealer License
Significant RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 102-2, § 102-3
No person shall use, exercise, or carry on the business or trade of a keeper of secondhand jewelry store or dealer in old gold without being licensed for that purpose by the Chief of Police, subject to approval by the City Manager ... The fee for each application for a secondhand jewelry or old gold license or for the renewal of each license shall be $150 per year. Each license shall expire at ...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Hackensack's Property Maintenance Code bars keeping any vehicle in major disassembly, disrepair, or in the process of being stripped or dismantled on residential premises, and bans painting vehicles outdoors. Major overhaul work, including body work, is allowed only inside an enclosed, approved structure.
Hackensack Home Vehicle Repair Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 100-15H
Motor vehicles. ... Except as provided for in other regulations, no inoperative or unlicensed motor vehicle shall be parked, kept or stored on any premises, and no vehicle shall at any time be in a state of major disassembly, disrepair, or in the process of being stripped or dismantled. Painting of vehicles is prohibited unless conducted inside an approved spray booth. ... Exception: A vehicle ...
Towing Companies
Hackensack licenses "official towers" to handle police-requested vehicle towing under Chapter 159, requiring a $500 application fee, a 15-minute response time citywide and round-the-clock availability. Rates are capped by a City fee schedule, for example $150 to tow a private passenger vehicle and $40 per day of storage, and private towing companies not on the City's rotation are exempt from the chapter.
Hackensack Official Tower Licensing Rules
Significant RestrictionsHackensack City Code §§ 159-2, 159-3, 159-10
The City may license persons or companies meeting the criteria set forth in this chapter and engaged in the business of or offering the services of motor vehicle towing, wrecking or storage, whereby damaged, disabled and/or impounded motor vehicles are towed or otherwise removed from the place where they are damaged, disabled, and/or impounded by use of a tow vehicle, as defined herein. Such pe...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Hackensack city rules.
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