Business Licensing & Operations in Minneapolis, MN (2026)
8 verified business licensing & operations rules for Minneapolis, Minnesota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Sexually oriented uses in Minneapolis are confined to the DT1 and DT2 downtown districts, must sit 1,000 feet from residential zones, 500 feet from schools and libraries, and are capped at one per block face.
Minneapolis Adult Entertainment Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances, Title 20 (Zoning Code), § 545.210(k)
Sexually oriented uses shall be permitted only in the DT1 and DT2 Districts, subject to the provisions of this article, except as otherwise provided in this section. However, no sexually oriented use shall be permitted on any property with its main public entrance on Nicollet Mall, on any property located north/northwest of the centerline of the Burlington Northern Railway right-of-way, nor on ...
Massage Establishments
Minneapolis requires a city license to operate any massage and bodywork establishment, with set hours, location limits, and construction standards under Code Chapter 286.
Minneapolis Massage Establishment License
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 286.20
No person shall engage in the business of operating a massage and bodywork establishment without being licensed under this chapter.
Tattoo & Body Modification
Minneapolis requires a body art establishment license before any shop can offer tattooing, piercing, or related procedures, on top of the state technician license each artist must hold under Minn. Stat. Ch. 146B.
Minneapolis Tattoo and Body Art License
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 339.55
No person shall operate any establishment where body art, tattooing, or piercing is practiced without being licensed under this chapter.
Tobacco Retail License
Selling vapes or e-cigarettes in Minneapolis requires a tobacco dealer's license under Chapter 281, and new tobacco product shops can't locate within 300 feet of a K-12 school or occupy less than three acres of licensed sales area.
Minneapolis Vape Shop Licensing and Zoning
Significant RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 281.120(c)-(d)
No license shall be issued for a tobacco product shop within three hundred (300) feet from any building space that is used primarily and regularly for any K-12 school, as that term is defined in section 565.200. ... No license shall be issued for a tobacco product shop unless the area for which the license is granted contains at least three (3) acres, including any contiguous area in which any ...
Secondhand Dealers
Anyone buying, consigning, or reselling secondhand goods in Minneapolis must hold a secondhand goods dealer license under Chapter 321, with Class A dealers posting a $5,000 bond and reporting high-risk transactions to police daily.
Minneapolis Secondhand Dealer Licensing Rules
Significant RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 321.20
No person shall engage in the business of secondhand goods without a secondhand goods license. No secondhand goods license may be transferred to a different location or a different person. Licenses shall be conspicuously displayed. Issuance of a license under this article shall not relieve the licensee from obtaining any other licenses required to conduct business at the same or any other locat...
Pawnbrokers
Minneapolis pawnbrokers need a police-issued Chapter 324 license, a $5,000 bond, and daily electronic transaction reports to the police department before they can legally operate.
Minneapolis Pawnbroker Licensing Rules
Significant RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 324.30
No person shall engage in the business of pawnbroker at any location without a pawnbroker license for that location. No pawnbroker license may be transferred to a different location or a different person. Issuance of a license under this chapter shall not relieve the licensee from obtaining any other licenses required to conduct business at the same or any other locations.
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Minneapolis explicitly bans motor vehicle repair, service, or painting as a home occupation citywide, along with servicing snowmobiles, lawnmowers, chain saws, and other small-engine equipment out of a residence.
Minneapolis Bars Home Auto Repair
Heavy RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances, Title 20 (Zoning Code), § 545.820(1)
the following shall be prohibited as home occupations: (1)Motor vehicle repair, service, or painting, or any repair or servicing of vehicles or equipment with internal combustion engines (such as snowmobiles, lawnmowers, chain saws, and other small engines).(2)A use that is designed to serve more than one (1) client on the site at a time.(3)The sale, lease, trade or other transfer of firearm...
Towing Companies
Minneapolis requires a Class A license, a $10,000 surety bond, and liability insurance before any company can tow a vehicle from private property without the owner's consent.
Minneapolis Non-Consent Towing Licenses
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 349.20
No person shall provide any motor vehicle service as described in any of the classifications in section 349.10 nor shall any person permit a service vehicle to be kept or maintained in the City of Minneapolis without being licensed under this chapter.
Looking for Hennepin County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Minneapolis city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Hennepin County →