Business Licensing & Operations in Pasco, WA (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Pasco, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Pasco requires a separate annual adult entertainment facility business license from the City Manager before any adult cabaret, arcade or similar business can operate, on top of the standard business license. Entertainers, waitpersons and managers each need their own annual license, and advertising an unlicensed facility is itself unlawful.
Pasco Adult Entertainment Facility License
Significant RestrictionsPasco Municipal Code § 5.20.080
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or maintain an adult entertainment facility in the City unless the owner or operator thereof has obtained from the City Manager a license to do so. Such license shall be designated an "adult entertainment facility business license" and shall be issued on an annual basis. This license is not intended to be exclusive of other applicable licenses and ...
Massage Establishments
No one may operate a massage business or work as a massage practitioner in Pasco without a City business license, and applicants must attach a copy of their Washington State massage license issued under RCW 18.108.030. Operating without one is a gross misdemeanor.
Pasco Massage Business License
Some RestrictionsPasco Municipal Code § 5.25.020
No person shall engage in or carry out the business of massage or massage therapy or engage in or operate a massage business without first applying for and receiving from the City a business license under this chapter... All applications for a massage business license under this chapter shall be accompanied by a legible photocopy of the applicant's state massage license as provided for in RCW 1...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Pasco prohibits tattoo parlors from operating in its central business, retail business, business park, office, and regional commercial districts, and in every residential zone, under PMC 25.165.180.
Pasco Zones Out Tattoo Parlors Citywide
Significant RestrictionsPMC 25.165.180
Tattoo parlors, as defined in PMC 25.15.220, are prohibited from operating in the C-2 (central business district), the C-1 (retail business district), the BP (business park district) zone, the O (office district) zone, the C-R (regional commercial) zone, and any residential zone.
Secondhand Dealers
Pasco requires anyone doing business as a secondhand dealer, including flea market sellers operating more than three times a year, to obtain a City license under PMC 5.80.020 and keep a detailed transaction record on every item bought, sold, or consigned.
Pasco Secondhand Dealer License
Some RestrictionsPasco Municipal Code §§ 5.80.010, 5.80.020
"Secondhand dealer" means every person engaged in whole or in part in the business of purchasing, selling, trading, consignment selling, or otherwise transferring for value, secondhand personal property, precious metals, whether or not the person maintains a fixed place of business within the state. Secondhand dealer also includes persons or entities conducting business at flea markets or swap ...
Pawnbrokers
Pasco pawnbrokers must hold a City license under PMC 5.80.020, keep a fixed place of business in the city or state under PMC 5.80.030, and cannot sell pledged property until both the loan term and a 60-day grace period, 90 days total, have expired.
Pasco Pawnbroker License Requirements
Some RestrictionsPasco Municipal Code §§ 5.80.030, 5.80.110
5.80.030 Fixed place of business required. No person may operate as a pawnbroker unless the person maintains a fixed place of business within the City or State of Washington. ... 5.80.110 Pawnbrokers – Sale of pledged property limited – Written documents required for transactions. (1) A pawnbroker shall not sell any property received in pledge, until both the term of the loan and a grace period...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Pasco outright prohibits vehicle repair, maintenance, motor rebuilding, painting vehicles, and welding as licensed home occupations, treating them as hazardous or nuisance-generating uses incompatible with residential neighborhoods under PMC 25.150.020.
Pasco Bans Home-Based Vehicle Repair
Heavy RestrictionsPasco Municipal Code § 25.150.020
Due to the increased possibility for generating hazardous or nuisance conditions, the following uses and those similar in nature shall not be permitted as home occupations: dog boarding/kenneling; vehicle repair and/or maintenance; rebuilding motors; painting vehicles; welding; sheet metal shops; upholstering; firewood cutting and any group H Occupancy as defined in the International Building a...
Towing Companies
Registered tow truck operators towing unauthorized vehicles in Pasco must post signage on private lots, obtain written impound authorization, and follow strict notice and storage rules under PMC 9.135.020. Redemption disputes go to district court, and towing firms that skip the required paperwork risk losing their storage-fee lien.
Pasco Non-Consent Tow & Impound Rules
Significant RestrictionsPasco Municipal Code 9.135.020
No person may impound, tow, or otherwise disturb any motor vehicle standing on nonresidential private property or in a public parking facility for less than 24 hours unless a sign is posted near each entrance and on the property in a clearly conspicuous and visible location to all who park on such property that clearly indicates: (i) The times a vehicle may be impounded as an unauthorized vehic...
Looking for Franklin County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Pasco city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Franklin County →