Business Licensing & Operations in Mountain View, CA (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Mountain View, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Mountain View requires a police-chief-issued license before an adult bookstore, cabaret, theater, or similar establishment can open, under City Code Sec. 26.53. The chief must act within 30 working days and can deny an application for material misstatements or specified sex-offense and drug-felony convictions in the past five years, with a 10-day appeal to the city manager.
Mountain View Adult Entertainment License Rules
Significant RestrictionsMountain View, CA, City Code Sec. 26.53 (Adult Entertainment Establishment License Required)
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, conduct, or carry on, or permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, in or upon any premises within the city, the operation of an adult entertainment establishment without a license obtained from the police chief as required by this article. A license shall be issued to any person who has complied with the requirements of Sec. 26.54, 26.55...
Massage Establishments
No one may open or operate a massage establishment in Mountain View, including a home massage business, without a permit from the police chief under Sec. 9.23, and every practitioner needs a valid CAMTC state certificate. Establishments must close by 11:00 p.m. and cannot open before 7:00 a.m. under Sec. 9.27, and the police chief can suspend or revoke a permit for cause under Sec. 9.33.
Mountain View Massage Establishment Permits
Significant RestrictionsMountain View, CA, City Code Sec. 9.23 (Permit and Certificate Requirements for Massage Establishments and Massage Practitioners), Chapter 9 Art. II
a.Massage establishment permits. No person shall establish, operate or maintain a massage establishment, including a home massage establishment, within city limits without first obtaining from the police chief, and maintaining in effect, a massage establishment permit. It is unlawful to operate, establish or maintain a massage establishment while the massage establishment permit issued for such...
Tobacco Retail License
Mountain View confines "significant tobacco retailers" to the CRA commercial zone and requires a conditional use permit. City Code Section 36.30.20 bans self-service displays, requires age-verification signage, and triggers discretionary review within 1,000 feet of a school, day care or playground.
Mountain View Tobacco Retailer Zoning Rules
Significant RestrictionsMountain View, CA, City Code § 36.30.20 (Significant Tobacco Retailers)
a.Location requirements. Significant tobacco retailers shall only be allowed in the CRA zone and shall require approval of a conditional use permit.b.Operating standards. In addition to any conditions of approval imposed by the zoning administrator in accordance with Section 36.48 (Conditional Use Permit) every significant tobacco retailer permitted under this section shall comply with Chapter ...
Secondhand Dealers
Mountain View licenses secondhand jewelry dealers under Chapter 23 of the City Code, requiring a bound transaction record, daily reports to the police department, and a 30-day hold on every item before resale. Sec. 23.9 keeps purchased goods available for police inspection so stolen property can be traced and recovered before it leaves a dealer's shelf.
Mountain View Secondhand Dealer Rules
Significant RestrictionsMountain View, CA, City Code Sec. 23.9 (Articles To Be Held For Thirty Days; Exception)
All articles purchased, received, exchanged, pledged, or otherwise taken into possession by any person operating any of the above enumerated businesses shall be segregated and made available for inspection by the chief of police, or any officer authorized by law, in the place of business of the licensee for a period of five (5) days immediately following receipt of the same. All such articles s...
Pawnbrokers
Mountain View bans pawnbroking outright. Sec. 23.18 of the City Code makes it unlawful for anyone to carry on the business of a pawnbroker, defined by Sec. 23.17 as receiving goods in pledge as security for a loan, anywhere within city limits. No permit or license can cure the prohibition.
Mountain View Pawnbroker Ban
Heavy RestrictionsMountain View, CA, City Code Sec. 23.17, 23.18 (Pawnbroker Defined; Prohibited In City)
SEC. 23.17. - "Pawnbroker" defined. A "pawnbroker" shall include every person engaged in the business of receiving goods in pledge as security for a loan. SEC. 23.18. - Prohibited in city. It shall be unlawful for anyone to carry on the business of pawnbroker within the city.
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Mountain View flatly bans vehicle repair as a home business. City Code Section 36.28.90(f) lists "vehicle repair (body or mechanical), upholstery, automobile detailing and painting" among the uses found incompatible with residential activity and prohibited as home occupations.
Mountain View Home Auto Repair Ban
Heavy RestrictionsMountain View, CA, City Code § 36.28.90(f) (Prohibited Home Occupation Uses)
The following uses are found to be not incidental to or compatible with residential activities, and are, therefore, prohibited as home occupations: a.Adult entertainment establishments;b.Dance or night clubs;c.Medical services (not including chiropractors and counselors/psychotherapists);d.Mini storage;e.Storage of equipment, materials and other accessories for the construction and service trad...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Mountain View city rules.
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