Business Licensing & Operations in Montgomery, AL (2026)
5 verified business licensing & operations rules for Montgomery, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Massage Establishments
Montgomery requires every massage parlor to hold a city license before opening to the public, priced on a sliding scale tied to gross receipts, plus a separate $100 annual license for each masseur or masseuse. Applicants and staff must also pass a health screening and stay free of certain criminal convictions.
Montgomery, Alabama Massage Parlor License
Significant RestrictionsMontgomery City Code § 6-161
Sec. 6-161. - Required. No massage parlor shall be opened to members of the public or operated for any other purpose without the owner thereof first having obtained a license therefor from the city.
Tobacco Retail License
Montgomery classifies cigar shops, e-cigarette retailers and vape shops under NAICS code 459991 in its business license schedule, requiring the same city privilege license every retailer needs, priced on gross receipts under Schedule B. The code also flags that tobacco products remain separately regulated by Alabama's ABC Board, which issues its own retail permit.
Montgomery Vape and Tobacco Retail License
Some RestrictionsMontgomery City Code § 16-105 (NAICS Code 459991)
459991 Tobacco, Electronic Cigarette, and Other Smoking Supplies— Includes Cigar retailers; E-cigarette retailers; Vape shops; Smokers' supply retailers; Cigarette retailers; Tobacco retailers; Shisha retailers; Hookah-pipe retailers; Marijuana Stores/dispensaries (Medical or other) ** Tobacco products are regulated by the ABC Board, and require a permit from that Board *** Currently, Marijuan...
Secondhand Dealers
Every pawnbroker or secondhand dealer in Montgomery must report all pawned or purchased personal property to the police chief by 10:00 a.m. the next day, naming the seller, and must run an electronic inventory-tracking system the police department can access by computer.
Montgomery Secondhand Dealer Daily Reports
Significant RestrictionsMontgomery, AL Code of Ordinances § 22-1
Every pawnbroker or secondhand dealer in the city shall deliver to the chief of police or his duly authorized representative, by 10:00 a.m. each day, except Sunday, a description of all tangible personal property, other than household furniture or automobiles, taken in pawn or bought by him on the previous day, together with the names and addresses of the persons who put such property in pawn o...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Montgomery makes it a nuisance to restore or repair a motor vehicle in the front yard of any residential building, including rental houses, boarding houses and apartments. Routine or preventative maintenance stays legal; anything beyond that in a front yard can draw a nuisance citation from the city.
Montgomery, Alabama Home Auto Repair Rules
Significant RestrictionsMontgomery City Code § 12-36
It shall be unlawful and is declared a nuisance for any person to restore or repair any motor vehicle in the front yard of any residential building, including, but not limited to, rental residential buildings, boarding houses and apartment buildings. This provision is not intended to and does not prohibit the performance of regular/preventative maintenance.
Towing Companies
Towing companies operating in Montgomery, Alabama need a business license issued only after the city council passes a resolution authorizing it, one of just 14 license types singled out for council approval rather than routine finance-department issuance. City Code Sec. 6-2 sets the requirement.
Montgomery Towing Company License Requirement
Significant RestrictionsMontgomery City Code §§ 6-2, 27-664, 27-665
The city council must pass a resolution authorizing the issuance of the following types of business licenses: ... (14)Towing companies. ... The law enforcement officer making the impoundment shall direct an approved towing service to tow the vehicle to the garage of the towing service, storage lot, or other place of safety designated by the chief of police and maintain custody and control of th...