Business Licensing & Operations in Revere, MA (2026)
8 verified business licensing & operations rules for Revere, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Revere confines every adult entertainment establishment, adult bookstore, adult video store, adult motion picture theater and adult advertising sign to the TED district, and only then with a special permit from the city council. Adult uses must also sit at least 1,000 feet from schools, day care centers, playgrounds and houses of worship, and 300 feet from each other.
Revere Adult Entertainment Zoning Rules
Significant RestrictionsRevere Municipal Code § 17.16.045(B), (C)(1), (C)(3)
no adult entertainment establishments, adult bookstore, adult video store, adult motion picture theater and advertising signs or devices may be ... erected, constructed, placed, altered ... or converted if it is within three hundred feet of the line of any lot which itself contains either an adult entertainment establishment, adult bookstore, adult video store, adult motion picture theater or a...
Massage Establishments
Massage establishments licensed under Chapter 140, Section 51 of the Massachusetts General Laws must follow two Revere-specific rules: no masseur or masseuse may perform massage or assist with a bath on a client of the opposite sex, and every treatment room needs an unobstructed one-by-two-foot window plus doors that stay unlocked during business hours.
Revere Massage Establishment Conduct Rules
Some RestrictionsRevere Municipal Code §§ 9.04.020, 9.04.030; § 1.16.010
Whoever violates a provision of any ordinance, whether of these Revised Ordinances or any other ordinance enacted after the adoption of this revision shall, unless otherwise provided by law or ordinance, be liable to a penalty of not more than three hundred dollars for each offense. ... No masseur nor masseuse employed by an establishment licensed under Chapter 140, Section 51 of the General La...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Revere allows tattoo and body art establishments only in the TED district and only by special permit from the city council, with a 500-foot buffer from schools, parks, playgrounds, conservation land, houses of worship and residential uses. A separate board of health licensing scheme covers body piercers citywide, charging a $40 annual fee.
Revere Body Art Establishment Zoning Rules
Significant RestrictionsRevere Municipal Code § 17.16.048(B)(1)-(3)
Body art establishment, erected, constructed, placed, altered, converted or otherwise changed may be allowed only by special permit in the TED district by the city council, in compliance with the dimensional and parking control requirements of this title, except as specifically changed by this section: ... Body art establishments may not be located less than five hundred feet from the nearest l...
Tobacco Retail License
Any retailer selling tobacco or electronic cigarettes over the counter or through vending machines in Revere needs a tobacco sales and location permit from the Board of Health. The base permit costs $25 a year under Section 8.36.020, but the city's fee schedule bills electronic cigarettes separately at $200 a year, alongside $200 lines for cigarettes and cigars.
Revere Tobacco and E-Cigarette Sales Permit
Some RestrictionsRevere Municipal Code §§ 8.36.020, 8.36.090; Appendix A, Fee Schedule
No person or entity shall sell tobacco-related products over the counter or in vending machines within the city of Revere without a tobacco sales and location permit issued by the board of health. Said permit shall cost twenty-five dollars and be renewable each year. Each permit shall expire yearly on December 31st. ... Tobacco sales license fee, cigarettes $200 Tobacco sales license fee, elect...
Secondhand Dealers
Revere secondhand dealers and collectors need a license from the license commission and may not pay more than $40 cash per transaction or accept goods on consignment. The commission can deny or revoke a license for repeated violations, prior revocations, or disqualifying criminal convictions under Chapter 5.16.
Revere Secondhand Dealer Licensing Rules
Significant RestrictionsRevere Municipal Code §§ 5.16.020, 5.16.060
A. A secondhand dealer or secondhand collector shall not make any cash purchase in an amount that exceeds forty dollars per transaction. B. A secondhand dealer or secondhand collector shall not engage in consignment sales. ... The license commission of the City of Revere may deny an application for a secondhand dealer or secondhand collector license or revoke an issued license if it has probabl...
Pawnbrokers
Revere caps pawnbroker licenses at one for every 10,000 residents and runs each license from May 1 to April 30. Every licensee must post a $300 bond and comply with Chapter 140 of the General Laws in addition to the city's licensing commission rules under Municipal Code Chapter 5.20.
Revere Pawnbroker License Requirements
Significant RestrictionsRevere Municipal Code §§ 5.20.010, 5.20.030, 5.20.060
Any suitable person complying with the provisions of this chapter and Chapter 140 of the General Laws may be licensed to set up and maintain the business of a pawnbroker within the city. No person shall set up or maintain a business of a pawnbroker without complying with such provisions. ... Licenses granted under this chapter shall be restricted to one to each ten thousand residents of the cit...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Revere's zoning code puts vehicle repair on the short list of home occupations it prohibits outright. Section 17.44.030 bars repair and painting of automobiles, trailers, boats or other vehicles as a home occupation everywhere in the city, alongside barbershops, restaurants, stables, kennels and boarding rooms, regardless of how small the operation is.
Revere Bans Home Auto Repair Shops
Heavy RestrictionsRevere Municipal Code § 17.44.030
Occupations which are specifically prohibited include the following and similar uses: A. Repair and painting of automobiles, trailers, boats or other vehicles; B. Barbershop; C. Restaurant; D. Stable or kennel; E. Letting of rooms or lodging.
Towing Companies
When Revere police order a vehicle towed from a public way under the city's tow-away authority, Revere Municipal Code § 10.44.010 caps the towing, storage, and administrative fees a contractor can charge, makes the towing contractor liable for its own negligent damage, and requires the police department to log the tow and the contractor's name.
Revere Tow-Away Fees and Contractor Rules
Some RestrictionsRevere Municipal Code §§ 10.44.010, 10.44.070, 10.44.080
In accordance with the provisions of Chapter 40, Section 22D of the General Laws, the city council enacts the regulations set out in this chapter authorizing the removal to a convenient place of vehicles parked or standing in such manner, or in such areas, as are described in this chapter on any way under the control of the city. ... The city council imposes upon the owner of any vehicle moved ...