Business Licensing & Operations in Knoxville, TN (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Knoxville, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Knoxville bars sexually oriented businesses from locating within 1,000 feet of residential zones, schools, parks, churches, day cares, alcohol sellers, or another such business, on top of a separate city license.
Knoxville Adult Business 1,000-Foot Spacing
Significant RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 16-468(d) (Code 1962, § 28-704; Ord. No. O-29-06, §§ 1-4, 2-28-06)
It shall be unlawful to establish, operate, or maintain any sexually oriented business within the city, if the proposed location is within one thousand (1,000) feet of:(1)A residentially zoned district;(2)Any school, park, church or house of worship;(3)Any licensed day-care center;(4)Any establishment authorized to sell any alcoholic beverages (defined as an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol c...
Massage Establishments
Anyone operating a massage business in Knoxville needs a police-issued establishment license for each location, and every practicing massagist needs a separate permit. Both require fingerprints, photographs, a criminal-history check and, for massagists, proof of at least seventy hours of massage-school instruction.
Knoxville Massage Establishment License Rule
Significant RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 16-490 (Code 1962, § 28-711(a))
Sec. 16-490. - Establishment license—Required. No person shall engage in or carry out the business of massage unless he has a valid massage establishment license issued by the city pursuant to the provisions of this division for each and every separate office or place of business conducted by such person.
Tattoo & Body Modification
Knoxville's zoning code classifies tattoo parlors, piercing studios, and non-medical body modification shops as Body Modification Establishments: permitted outright in general, highway, and regional commercial districts, downtown, and mixed-use industrial zones, but requiring special use approval in neighborhood commercial areas.
Knoxville Tattoo Shop Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsKnoxville City Code, Appendix B (Zoning Code), Art. 2.3 (Definitions), 'Body Modification Establishment'; use permissions at Table 9-1 (Use Matrix)
Body Modification Establishment. An establishment that offers tattooing services, body piercing, and/or non-medical body modification. Body modification establishment does not include an establishment that offers only ear piercing. Blank Wall. Defined in Section 2.4. Block. Defined in Section 2.4. Blockface. Defined in Section 2.4. Broadcasting Facility. Commercial and public commun...
Secondhand Dealers
Junk dealers, antique dealers and other secondhand-article buyers in Knoxville must register with and get a permit from the chief of police before operating, separate from the city's standard business license. The permit comes with fingerprinting, a criminal-history check, transaction recordkeeping, next-day reporting to police, and a 30-day holding period on purchased items.
Knoxville Secondhand Dealer Permit Rule
Significant RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 16-206 (Code 1962, § 30-903; Ord. No. O-162-2011, § 1, 11-15-11)
Sec. 16-206. - Permit required. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in any activity subject to regulation by this article without first registering with and obtaining a permit from the chief of police. Such permit shall be in addition to a business license. This section shall not apply to pawnbrokers.
Pawnbrokers
Knoxville pawnbrokers must hold pawned property at least 30 days past the transaction's maturity date, and purchased merchandise 20 days, before selling or disposing of it, under Code § 16-188.
Knoxville Pawnbroker Holding Period Rules
Significant RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 16-188 (Code 1962, § 30-911; Ord. No. O-110-09, § 1, 7-28-09; Ord. No. O-162-2011, § 1, 11-15-11)
(a)A pawnbroker is required to hold at the place of business the property taken on pawn, deposit or pledge for a period of not less than thirty (30) days after the maturity date of the pawn transaction, as defined in Tenn. Code Ann. § 45-6-203(2), before offering the property for sale or disposing of the property by trade, transfer, shipment or otherwise.(b)A pawnbroker who procures chattels, g...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Knoxville's zoning code flatly prohibits motor vehicle repair and vehicle dispatch businesses as home occupations, so residents cannot legally operate an auto repair shop or a dispatch business with vehicles congregating at a home address.
Knoxville Bans Home-Based Auto Repair
Heavy RestrictionsKnoxville City Code, Appendix B (Zoning Code), Art. 10 (Site Development Standards), § 10.3.R (Home Occupation), item 6
Motor vehicle repair and vehicle dispatch for any business where vehicles to be dispatched congregate on site are prohibited as home occupations.7.Day care homes are not considered a home occupation and are regulated as a principal use per Article 9.8.Only products produced on premises may be physically sold from the premises. Internet and mail order sales are permitted.9.The gross floor area d...
Towing Companies
Knoxville bars non-consent tows from private lots unless the towing company follows Chapter 26's wrecker ordinance: capped rates, mandatory police notification, and liability insurance for every tow made without the vehicle owner's consent.
Knoxville Non-Consent Towing Rules
Some RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 26-229
No towing service shall conduct a nonconsensual tow of a vehicle from a private parking lot for compensation when the point of origin of the tow is within the jurisdictional limits of the city without complying with the provisions of this article.
Looking for Knox County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Knoxville city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Knox County →