Business Licensing & Operations in Lakewood, NJ (2026)
5 verified business licensing & operations rules for Lakewood, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Massage Establishments
Lakewood Township requires a separate Township Clerk permit for every massage business and for each masseur or masseuse, backed by a $100 filing fee, a 70-hour training requirement, and a flat ban on touching a patron's sexual or genital area.
Lakewood Massage Establishment Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsTownship of Lakewood Code § 4-7.12(f), (g)
It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly, in a massage establishment, to place his or her hand upon, or touch with any part of his or her body, to fondle in any manner, or to massage a sexual or genital area of any other person. No masseur or masseuse, employee, or operator shall perform, offer or agree to perform, any act which would require the touching of the patron's sexual or genital ...
Secondhand Dealers
Anyone buying secondhand goods, jewelry or precious metals for resale in Lakewood Township needs a Municipal Clerk license under Code § 4-9. Dealers must print their license number on every ad, in at least 8-point type, and photograph each seller and item.
Secondhand Goods Dealer License in Lakewood
Significant RestrictionsTownship of Lakewood Code § 4-9.3
No person, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or other entity shall engage in the business of buying, selling, or pawning of precious metals or other secondhand goods, as defined above, within the jurisdiction of the Township of Lakewood, without having first obtained a license therefor from the Municipal Clerk... Advertising in any print or electronic media or by sign that an...
Pawnbrokers
Lakewood Township licenses pawnbrokers, defined as anyone lending money on a pledge of personal property, under Code § 4-9. Operators post a $10,000 bond, pay a $400 license fee, and must hold every pledged item at least 10 business days before disposing of it.
Pawnbroker Licensing Rules in Lakewood
Significant RestrictionsTownship of Lakewood Code § 4-9.2 (definition of "Pawnbroker")
PAWNBROKER Means any person, partnership, association or corporation: lending money on deposit or pledge of personal property, other than choses in action, securities, or printed evidences of indebtedness; purchasing personal property on condition of selling it back at a stipulated price; or doing business as furniture storage warehousemen and lending money on goods, wares or merchandise pledge...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Lakewood Township, Ocean County, does not allow automobile repair or service businesses as a home occupation. The Unified Development Ordinance lists Automobile Repair Services as a conditional use in the Industrial (M-1) zone only, so a residential garage cannot legally operate as a repair shop.
Home Auto Repair Rules in Lakewood Township
Significant RestrictionsTownship of Lakewood UDO §§ 18-903M3d and 18-1016
Industrial Zone (M-1) ... 3. Conditional Uses. In addition to the above described permitted uses there may be permitted in the industrial zone such uses of a general industrial nature ... upon obtaining a conditional use permit from the Zoning Board of Adjustment ... d. Automobile Repair Services. ... 18-1016. Automobile Repairs and Service. A. Where permitted, any application for an automobile...
Towing Companies
Lakewood Township requires a Police Department-vetted towing license before any wrecker operator can work police-called or non-consent tows. Code § 4-6 sets equipment standards, a posted rate schedule, a 15-minute response benchmark, and a graduated suspension schedule for violations.
Lakewood Township Towing Operator License
Significant RestrictionsTownship of Lakewood Code §§ 4-6.3, 4-6.8j
No towing operator shall operate within the Township of Lakewood without obtaining a towing license in accordance with the provisions of this section in addition to any other licenses required under Township of Lakewood ordinances, except as is otherwise provided herein. Towing operators shall arrive at the scene to which they are dispatched within a reasonable time after being dispatched. Unde...