Business Licensing & Operations in Livonia, MI (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Livonia, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Livonia confines adult businesses to the C-3 commercial district as a waiver use under Zoning Ordinance Section 6.01, and forces distance between them. A new adult business must sit at least 1,000 feet from any other occupied or approved adult business and at least 500 feet from residentially zoned or occupied property, plus have direct access to a 120-foot-wide major thoroughfare.
Livonia Adult Business Zoning & Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsLivonia Zoning Ordinance No. 3160, § 6.01
(1)Districts Permitted. The following standards apply in the C-3 District as a waiver use.(2)Location. No adult business shall be located within one thousand (1,000) feet of any property which is either occupied or approved for an adult business or within five hundred (500) feet of any property which is either occupied or zoned for residential use as measured from any point on the property whic...
Massage Establishments
Livonia does not run its own massage-establishment licensing scheme; instead it requires every person providing massage services in a massage establishment to hold a State of Michigan license and display it prominently on the premises.
Livonia Massage Establishment License
Some RestrictionsLivonia Code of Ordinances § 5.49.010
No person, partnership, joint venture, corporation or organization of any kind shall engage in the business of operating, conducting or maintaining a massage establishment, as defined in Section 2.08 of the City of Livonia Zoning Ordinance, adopted herein by reference, without first obtaining a license from the State of Michigan for each and every person who will be providing massage services.
Secondhand Dealers
Livonia bars anyone who buys, stores or resells used merchandise from opening for business without a police-issued certificate of registration. Dealers pay a fifty-dollar fee, are fingerprinted and photographed, and undergo a police background check before the certificate issues. It runs one year, cannot be transferred, and must be posted where customers can see it.
Livonia Secondhand Dealer Registration Rules
Significant RestrictionsLivonia Code of Ordinances § 5.76.030
A.A dealer shall not conduct business within the city unless the dealer has obtained a valid certificate of registration from the police department of the city.B.A dealer shall apply to the police department for a certificate of registration by paying a fifty-dollar ($50.00) registration fee and disclosing the following information:1.The name and address of the applicant;2.The name and address ...
Pawnbrokers
Livonia requires anyone engaging in the pawnbroker business to obtain a city license certified by the police and fire chiefs, post a $3,000 surety bond, and keep and weekly report a daily transaction record to the police department.
Livonia Pawnbroker License Requirements
Significant RestrictionsLivonia Code of Ordinances § 5.63.010, § 5.63.020
No person shall engage in the business of pawnbroker without first obtaining a license therefor and paying the fee prescribed in Section 5.03.170 of this code. No such license shall be granted except upon certification of the police chief and the fire chief. (Prior code § 4-1201) ... Before any such license is issued, the applicant therefor shall furnish a corporate surety bond in the penal sum...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Livonia does not allow auto repair as a home business. Zoning Ordinance Section 6.06 confines automobile and light-truck repair, up to one-ton GVWR, to the C-2 District as a waiver use and the C-3 District as a permitted use, and bars bumping, painting, spraying, or rustproofing wherever it is allowed. Home occupation rules separately forbid vehicle or auto repair work in a residential garage.
Livonia Home Garage Auto Repair Rules
Heavy RestrictionsLivonia Zoning Ordinance No. 3160, § 6.06
(1)Districts Permitted. The following standards apply in the C-2 District as a waiver use and in the C-3 District as a permitted use.(2)Repair Work. All repair work must be carried out within an enclosed building.(3)Light Truck Repair. Automobile and light truck repair shall not permit such repairs as bumping, painting, spraying or rustproofing.(4)Number of Vehicles. The total number of vehicle...
Towing Companies
Livonia caps what any towing company can charge to tow a car off private property without the owner's permission: the same rates set for police-ordered impound tows in Section 10.21.010. A tow company that overcharges commits a misdemeanor, and the vehicle owner can petition the 16th District Court for a refund.
Livonia Non-Consent Tow Fee Caps
Significant RestrictionsLivonia Code of Ordinances § 10.48.020
A.It is unlawful for any person to park any motor vehicle on any private property without the express or implied consent, authorization or approval of the owner, holder, occupant, lessee, agent or trustee of such property. Complaint for the violation of this section shall be made by the owner, holder, occupant, lessee, agent or trustee of said property, and the police department of the city sha...
Looking for Wayne County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Livonia city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Wayne County →