Business Licensing & Operations in New Rochelle, NY (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for New Rochelle, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
New Rochelle bars adult-oriented businesses within 400 feet of each other, residential zoning districts, schools, parks or libraries, caps them at 5,000 square feet, and requires a Planning Board special permit good for three years.
New Rochelle Adult Business Permit & Spacing
Significant RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code § 331-112
No building in which there is an adult-oriented business as defined in Article II of this chapter shall be permitted: (1) Within 400 feet of any other building in which there is an adult-oriented business. (2) Within 400 feet of a zoning district that permits residential dwellings as a principal use, except where a mixed-use or commercial/industrial boundary is adjacent to a public road or rail...
Massage Establishments
New Rochelle requires every massage establishment to hold a license issued through the City Clerk before opening, under City Code § 121-5. Applicants face background review by the Police Commissioner, Fire Commissioner and Buildings Code Enforcement Officer, and violators risk fines up to $5,000 and 15 days in jail.
New Rochelle Massage Establishment License
Significant RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code § 121-5
It shall be unlawful for any person to open, conduct, maintain or operate a massage establishment unless the building, room, place or space where the same in conducted, maintained or operated is licensed in the manner prescribed in this chapter. A. No person shall operate a massage establishment used by patrons for hire or reward or advertise as being engaged in the business of massage in the C...
Tattoo & Body Modification
New Rochelle confines tattoo studios to a special permit from the Planning Board, above-ground-floor space in the Central Parking District only, with 200-foot spacing from other studios, schools and parks, and fixed operating hours.
New Rochelle Tattoo Studio Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code § 331-110
The Planning Board may approve a Tattoo Studio where such use is permitted by a special permit, subject to the following conditions: A. The Tattoo Studio shall be permitted only above the ground floor and only on sites that are located within the Central Parking District; B. The Tattoo Studio shall be no closer than 200 feet to a lot containing another existing Tattoo Studio; C. The Tattoo Stud...
Secondhand Dealers
Anyone who buys or sells secondhand furniture, machinery, jewelry, clothes or similar articles in New Rochelle must obtain a dealer's license from the City Clerk under Chapter 264. Licensees post a $1,000 surety bond, and the rule exempts used motor vehicle sales and purchases made by religious or charitable organizations.
New Rochelle Secondhand Dealer License
Significant RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code § 264-1
A. Anyone dealing in the purchase and/or sale of secondhand furniture, machinery, jewelry, clothes or other articles shall be deemed to be a dealer in secondhand articles and shall obtain a license therefor from the City Clerk. B. This section shall not apply to the purchase and/or sale of used motor vehicles or to the purchase and/or sale of the above items by religious or charitable organizat...
Pawnbrokers
New Rochelle requires anyone operating as a pawnbroker or collateral loan broker to hold a City Clerk license and post a $1,000 bond under §§ 227-2 and 227-3, with the Police Commissioner vetting the applicant's character before approval. Licensed pawnbrokers must log every pledge, hold unclaimed items a full year before a public auction sale, and face fines up to $250 or 15 days in jail for violations.
New Rochelle Pawnbroker Licensing Rules
Significant RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code §§ 227-2, 227-3
No person shall conduct the business of a pawnbroker or collateral loan broker without having obtained a license therefor from the City Clerk. ... every such pawnbroker or collateral loan broker shall give a bond to the City with at least two sufficient sureties who shall be residents and freeholders of the City or of a surety company to be approved by the City Clerk in the penal sum of $1,000,...
Towing Companies
New Rochelle requires anyone who tows or boots vehicles from private property to hold a one-year Police Commissioner license, which costs a $750 fee under Chapter 316. Non-consent towing charges cannot exceed the rate Westchester County authorizes, and violating any part of the chapter carries a mandatory minimum fine starting at $50 and rising to $100 for repeat offenses, capped at $250.
New Rochelle Towing Company License Rules
Significant RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code §§ 316-5, 316-7, 316-8
No person shall conduct towing or booting as defined herein on private property without first having obtained a license as hereinafter provided. All licenses shall be issued for a one-year period. ... A minimal fee of $750 shall be paid for each license issued hereunder. ... Notwithstanding any other penalty provision of the Code of the City of New Rochelle, a violation of any provision of this...
Looking for Westchester County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement New Rochelle city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Westchester County →