Business Licensing & Operations in Joliet, IL (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Joliet, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Joliet requires every sexually oriented business to hold a city license before opening, caps each license to one fixed location, and requires renewal by December 31 each year. Sec. 18-412 bars operation without a license, and operators also face set closing hours, a strict no-minors rule, and a ban on alcohol on the premises.
Joliet Sexually Oriented Business License Rules
Significant RestrictionsJoliet City Code §§ 18-412, 18-417, 18-418
No person shall own, operate or conduct any business in a sexually oriented business located within the city unless there is a license for the business. ... No sexually oriented business shall be open between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on Monday through Saturdays or between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on Sundays. ... No person under the age of eighteen (18) years shall be al...
Massage Establishments
Joliet requires separate police-chief-issued permits for a massage business and for each masseur, backed by fingerprints, photos, and a 70-hour school certificate. City Code § 18-238 bans touching genitals or breasts and bars out-call massages entirely, with violations carrying a $150 fine.
Joliet Massage Business & Masseur Licensing
Significant RestrictionsJoliet City Code §§ 18-222, 18-237, 18-238
(a)Business permit required. No person shall engage in or carry on the business of massage unless he has a valid massage business permit issued by the city pursuant to the provisions of this article for each and every separate office or place of business conducted by such person.(b)Masseur's permit required. No person shall practice massage as a masseur, employee or otherwise, unless he has a v...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Joliet requires a license to operate a tattoo shop or work as a tattooer, with shops required to have proper lighting, ventilation, and a hot-and-cold washbowl kept away from toilets. City Code § 18-258 limits tattooing anyone under 21 to licensed physicians only.
Joliet Tattoo Shop & Tattooer License
Significant RestrictionsJoliet City Code §§ 18-250, 18-254, 18-258
No person shall operate any tattoo shop or engage in the trade or occupation of a tattooer within the city until he has first secured a license therefor. ... No license shall be granted to any person to conduct a tattoo shop unless the room in which such shop is to be conducted shall be adequately and properly lighted and ventilated; the room shall not be located in such close proximity to any ...
Tobacco Retail License
Joliet requires every retailer of tobacco, vapor products or alternative nicotine products to hold a tobacco dealer license from the liquor and tobacco commissioner, with a $500 nonrefundable application fee, background checks and fingerprinting, and a $1,000 annual renewal. Retail tobacco sales are also barred within 100 feet of any school, and new vape shop endorsements face a 2,640-foot spacing rule.
Joliet Retail Tobacco Dealer License Rules
Some RestrictionsJoliet City Code § 4-72
(a)No person shall sell or deliver, or offer for sale or delivery, tobacco products or alternative nicotine products in any form within the City of Joliet without a valid tobacco dealer license issued by the City of Joliet in accordance with this section. A tobacco dealer license shall be subject to the provisions of this article. A tobacco dealer license shall not be required to sell or delive...
Secondhand Dealers
Joliet requires a license under Code Chapter 17 before anyone buys, trades, or deals in junk, scrap, or secondhand goods. Licensees must hold purchased items 48 hours before reselling them, keep three-year purchase records with the seller's ID, and generally can't buy from minors.
Joliet Junk & Secondhand Dealer License
Significant RestrictionsJoliet City Code §§ 17-1, 17-2, 17-6, 17-7, 17-8, 17-9, 17-12
No person shall engage in the business of purchasing, trading in, or dealing in junk, scrap paper, bags or any secondhand articles whatsoever within the city, without first obtaining a license therefor. ... Every licensee under this chapter who purchases or acquires junk or secondhand articles shall not resell, dispose of or change the form of the articles in any manner until forty-eight (48) h...
Pawnbrokers
Operating as a pawnbroker in Joliet requires a city license, a $1,000 bond, and weekly reports of every pledge to the police chief. City Code § 18-103 caps pawnbroker interest at 3% per month and bars selling a pledged item until a full year after the borrower defaults.
Joliet Pawnbroker License & Interest Cap
Significant RestrictionsJoliet City Code §§ 18-99, 18-100, 18-101, 18-102, 18-103
No person shall engage in the business of a pawn broker without a license. The annual fee for such a license shall be as provided in the schedule of fees set forth in section 18-20. ... Every applicant for a license required by this article shall post with the city a bond in the penal sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), with good and sufficient securities, conditioned upon the performance ...
Towing Companies
Any tow truck used to move a vehicle within Joliet city limits must first be registered with the Joliet Police Department, listing the owner's name, the truck's serial number, and the business's address and phone number. Operators must also report most towed vehicles to police within 30 minutes.
Joliet Tow Truck Registration Rules
Significant RestrictionsJoliet City Code §§ 30-82, 30-84
Sec. 30-82. - Registration of vehicles. Every owner or operator of a two truck used in the transportation of any vehicle within the municipal city limits of Joliet, Illinois shall first register said vehicle with the police department of the City of Joliet providing the following information: (a)The name of the owner or operator of said vehicle.(b)The serial number of said vehicle.(c)The name, ...
Looking for Will County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Joliet city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Will County →