Business Licensing & Operations in San Jose, CA (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for San Jose, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
San Jose controls adult businesses through zoning, not a standalone permit: adult bookstores, theaters, adult entertainment establishments and massage parlors must sit 500 feet from schools and 200 feet from other such uses or residential zones.
San Jose Adult Business Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 20.80.030
no lot or parcel of property in any zoning district or any building or structure thereon or any portion thereof, shall be used for an adult book/video store, adult motion picture theater, adult entertainment establishment or massage parlor at a location closer than two hundred feet to any lot or parcel, within or outside the city, situated in a residential district or TM district, except that a...
Massage Establishments
San Jose requires anyone who owns, manages, or operates a massage business to hold a business permit from the chief of police, plus a separate ownership/management license: issued per location, not citywide.
Massage Establishment Permit Required in San Jose
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 6.44.120
It shall be unlawful for a person to maintain, manage, operate, conduct, control or own a massage business or off-premises massage business unless the business is maintained and operated in strict compliance with a valid business permit issued by the chief of police. A separate business permit is required for each location if a person maintains, manages, operates, conducts, controls or owns mul...
Tobacco Retail License
San Jose requires every tobacco retailer to hold a city-issued tobacco retail license before selling any tobacco product, with new licenses barred within 1,000 feet of schools, parks or libraries and 500 feet of another retailer.
San Jose Tobacco Retail License Required
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 6.87.200
It shall be unlawful for any tobacco retailer to engage in tobacco retailing in the city without first obtaining and maintaining a valid tobacco retail license from the director pursuant to the provisions of this chapter for each location at which tobacco retailing is to occur.
Secondhand Dealers
San Jose requires a city permit and business license before anyone can buy, sell, pawn or exchange secondhand goods bearing serial numbers, initials or inscriptions, jewelry and sterling silver included, with every application vetted by the chief of police.
San Jose Secondhand Dealer Permit Required
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 6.52.020
No person shall engage in or carry on the business of a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer except in compliance with provisions of this chapter and a valid permit issued by the city pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. Said permit shall be for a period of one year.B.No person shall engage in or carry on the business of a pawnbroker, secondhand jewelry dealer, or secondhand dealer unless he ...
Pawnbrokers
San Jose caps pawnbroker permits at six citywide and requires a police-investigated permit plus business license before operating, per SJMC Chapter 6.52.
Pawnbroker Permit Cap in San Jose
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code §§ 6.52.020, 6.52.050
No person shall engage in or carry on the business of a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer except in compliance with provisions of this chapter and a valid permit issued by the city pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. Said permit shall be for a period of one year. ... Not more than six permits to engage in business as a pawnbroker shall be in effect in the city at any one time.
Auto Repair on Residential Property
San Jose bans vehicle repair and service as a home occupation. Municipal Code § 20.80.720 lists dismantling, cleaning, and repair or service of vehicles among prohibited home-based uses, regardless of zoning district or dwelling type.
Auto Repair Barred as Home Occupation in San Jose
Heavy RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 20.80.720
The following are not permitted as home occupations: ... I. Vehicle-related uses such as, but not limited to, the following: storage of vehicles, cleaning, dismantling, embellishment, installation, manufacture, repair or service, sale, lease or rental, towing, driving schools, and dispatching of vehicles located at the site.
Towing Companies
San Jose bans tow companies from charging a fee to release a vehicle before it leaves private property, and vehicle owners who return before towing get five minutes to move their car and avoid the tow entirely.
San Jose Non-Consent Towing Rules
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 6.66.310
It is unlawful to charge the vehicle owner any fee to drop the vehicle or otherwise release the vehicle back to his control at any point between its location on the private property and its arrival at the tow-car storage facility. Such a "drop charge" to the vehicle owner is defined as reimbursement from the vehicle owner for services rendered by the tow-truck permittee. These services include,...
Looking for Santa Clara County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Jose city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Santa Clara County →