Business Licensing & Operations in Indianapolis, IN (2026)
8 verified business licensing & operations rules for Indianapolis, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Operating an adult entertainment business in Indianapolis without a license from the license administrator is unlawful under Section 807-202(a). The annual license, renewed on payment of a $377 fee, must be granted or denied within 45 days, closes automatically at midnight, and cannot reopen until 10 a.m. or at all on Sundays.
Indianapolis Adult Entertainment License Required
Significant RestrictionsCode of Indianapolis & Marion County Sec. 807-202(a)-(b) (License required)
Sec. 807-202. - License required. (a)It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or operate an adult entertainment business in the city without first obtaining a license therefor from the license administrator.(b)A license granted pursuant to this section shall be subject to annual renewal upon the written application of the applicant and a finding by the city that the applicant is in compl...
Massage Establishments
Operating, conducting, or maintaining a massage establishment in Indianapolis without a license from the license administrator is unlawful under City Code Chapter 912. The annual license costs $177, and the license administrator investigates the applicant's criminal history before issuing it, denying anyone convicted of prostitution, rape, sexual misconduct, a crime of violence, or required to register as a sex offender.
Indianapolis Massage Establishment License Required
Some RestrictionsCode of Indianapolis & Marion County, Ch. 912, Sec. 912-2 (License required); Sec. 912-4(a) (Issuance or rejection of application) (G.O. 2, 2015, § 7)
It is unlawful for a person or firm to operate, conduct or maintain a massage establishment in the city without first having obtained a license therefor from the license administrator. ... Before a license under this chapter is issued, the license administrator shall investigate the character of the applicant and the officers, directors and managers of the business if the applicant is a corpora...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Tattoo parlors are a permitted commercial zoning use in Indianapolis-Marion County, but they must sit specific distances from Protected Districts, dwellings, schools, and parks depending on the commercial zone.
Indianapolis Tattoo Parlor Buffer Rule
Some RestrictionsZoning Ordinance of Indianapolis-Marion County, Chapter 743, Sec. 743-305.LL (Tattoo Parlor use standard)
In the C-4, C-5 and C-7 districts, 1,000 feet from any Protected District. In the C-3, MU-3, and MU-4 districts, 500 feet from the following: Dwelling district; Historic preservation district; PK-1 Park district; University quarter district; SU-1 District (church); SU-2 District (school); SU-37 District (library); SU-38 District (community center).
Tobacco Retail License
A bar that wants to let customers smoke cigars or hookah tobacco on-site must first qualify as a licensed 'tobacco specialty bar' under Indianapolis City Code Chapter 988, since the city's smoke-free law otherwise bars smoking in bars. The license costs $215 a year and requires at least 20 percent of the bar's gross income to come from on-site cigar or hookah sales.
Indianapolis Tobacco Specialty Bar License
Significant RestrictionsCode of Indianapolis & Marion County, Sec. 988-102(c) (Definitions); Sec. 988-103 (Licenses authorized) (G.O. 12, 2012, § 5)
"Tobacco specialty bar" means a business that, as of January 1, 2012:(1)Is licensed to sell alcoholic beverages pursuant to a permit issued by the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission for on-premises consumption and in which the service of food is only incidental to the consumption of such beverages and the sale of cigars or Hookah tobacco;(2)Is engaged in the business of selling cigars or Ho...
Secondhand Dealers
Junk shops, junk yards, auto wreckers, and other salvage or scrap metal dealers in Indianapolis must hold an annual $568 license from the license administrator before buying or selling ferrous or nonferrous metal. Dealers cannot buy items like manhole covers, guardrails, or government-marked metal without proof the seller actually owns them.
Indianapolis Scrap Metal Dealer License Required
Some RestrictionsCode of Indianapolis & Marion County, Ch. 951, Art. IV, Sec. 951-401 (Definitions); Sec. 951-402 (License required) (G.O. 84, 2007, § 3; G.O. 63, 2009, § 162)
Salvage or scrap metal dealer means any individual, firm, corporation, limited liability company, or partnership, at a permanently established place of business, including junk shops, junk yards, junk stores, auto wreckers, scrap metal dealers or processors, salvage yards, dealers in junk, engaged in purchasing, selling, or exchanging ferrous or nonferrous metals that have served their original...
Pawnbrokers
Anyone who wants to lend money against pledged personal property, or buy goods with an option to sell them back, must get a pawnbroker license from Indianapolis's license administrator before opening for business. The annual fee is $320 for each place of business, and licensees must keep detailed transaction records for at least three years and report to police.
Indianapolis Pawnbroker License Required
Some RestrictionsCode of Indianapolis & Marion County, Ch. 951, Art. I, Sec. 951-102 (G.O. 21, 1995, § 1; G.O. 63, 2009, § 156)
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of pawnbroker without first obtaining a license therefor from the license administrator. In order to sell secondhand goods, it is not required that a pawnbroker also obtain a license to be a dealer in secondhand goods for the pawnbroker's licensed business location.
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Indianapolis zoning allows a wide range of home occupations, but Sec. 743-306.L.16.d draws a hard line against running an auto shop from the house: 'repair of motor vehicles or heavy equipment' is flatly excluded from the list of activities a home occupation may cover. The same subsection also bars storing a customer's non-passenger vehicle in the driveway and keeping hazardous shop materials like petroleum products on site.
Indianapolis Bars Auto Repair as a Home Business
Heavy RestrictionsZoning Ordinance of Indianapolis-Marion County, Chapter 743, Sec. 743-306.L.16.d (Home occupations)
16.The following are not permitted as home occupations:a.The storage or parking of non-passenger vehicles not owned by the property owner;b.All uses involving the storage or use of hazardous materials, such as petroleum or fertilizers, or the outdoor storage of nonresidential equipment or supplies;c.Home based food production or brewing of alcoholic beverages for sale; andd.Repair of motor vehi...
Towing Companies
Tow companies performing non-consensual tows starting in the city must hold a license from the division of construction and business services.
Indianapolis Non-Consensual Tow Business License
Significant RestrictionsCode of Indianapolis & Marion County Sec. 995-201(a) (G.O. 26, 2011, § 1; G.O. 41, 2016, § 2)
It shall be unlawful for a tow business that performs non-consensual towing to perform a towing service originating within the city without first having been issued a license therefor by the division of construction and business. The requirement for this license is made without regard to whether or not the towing business is physically headquartered within the boundaries of the city.(b)Notwiths...