Business Licensing & Operations in Somerville, MA (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Somerville, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tattoo & Body Modification
Somerville requires every tattoo, piercing, and body art shop to hold a Board of Health establishment permit, plus a separate permit for each practitioner. The Board sets physical-plant, sanitation, and age rules, and can suspend or revoke a permit for violations.
Somerville Tattoo & Body Art Permits
Significant RestrictionsSomerville Code of Ordinances, Appendix D, Board of Health Regulations, Body Art Regulations, Section 700.00 and Section 1200.00
SECTION 700.00. OPERATION OF BODY ART ESTABLISHMENTS Unless otherwise ordered or approved by the Board, each body art establishment shall be constructed, operated and maintained to meet the following minimum requirements: (A) Physical Plant. (1) Walls, floors, ceiling, and procedure surfaces shall be smooth, durable, free of open holes or cracks, light-colored, washable, and in good repair... (...
Tobacco Retail License
Somerville retailers, including vape and e-cigarette sellers, need an annual Tobacco Product Sales Permit from the Board of Health before selling any tobacco product. Only permanent indoor locations qualify, one permit per store, and no new permit can issue within 500 feet of a school.
Somerville Tobacco Retail Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsRegulation of the Somerville Board of Health Restricting the Sale of Tobacco Products and Smoke Accessories, § E (Tobacco Product Sales Permit), items 1, 6, 10a
No person shall sell or otherwise distribute or offer for sale tobacco products, as defined herein, within the City of Somerville without first obtaining a Tobacco Product Sales Permit issued annually by the Somerville Board of Health. Only owners of establishments with a permanent, indoor, non-mobile location in Somerville are eligible to apply for a permit and sell tobacco products... No sing...
Secondhand Dealers
Somerville requires anyone buying used goods for resale to hold a second hand dealer's license from the city council, complete with a CORI background check, before making a single purchase. Licensed dealers also can't buy from anyone under 18 and must hold onto any 'precious item,' like gold, jewelry, or electronics, for 30 days before reselling or melting it down.
Somerville Secondhand Dealer License Rules
Significant RestrictionsSomerville Code of Ordinances §§ 8-62, 8-63
It shall be unlawful for any person operating as a second hand dealer to purchase any item without first obtaining a second hand dealer's license from the city council. An applicant for a second hand dealer license shall file an application on a form prescribed by the city clerk. The application form shall require the applicant to provide information regarding the existence of consumer complain...
Pawnbrokers
Somerville bans pawnbroking outright under City Code Sec. 8-60. No person may operate as a pawnbroker anywhere in the city, whether lending money against pledged personal property or otherwise. The ban replaced older licensing rules and has stood since a 2021 ordinance rewrite.
Somerville Pawnbroking Prohibited
Heavy RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-60 (Code 1963, § 11-43; Ord. No. 2006-09, 4-11-2006; Ord. No. 2021-16, 7-8-2021; Ord. No. 2021-23, 9-23-2021)
No person shall operate at any time as a pawnbroker. A pawnbroker shall be defined as one who takes temporary possession of personal property and in exchange lends money to the property owner, under an agreement that the personal property may be sold if the loan is not repaid in a certain amount of time.
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Somerville's Zoning Ordinance bans auto repair as a home-based business outright: §9.2.14.b lists 'auto or appliance repair' among the uses that do not qualify as a Home Occupation. As a principal use, Personal Vehicle Repair or Maintenance is barred from every residential district and permitted only by Special Permit in Commercial Industry or Commercial Business.
Somerville Home Auto Repair Zoning Limits
Heavy RestrictionsSomerville Zoning Ordinance §9.2.14.b (Home Occupations exclusion); §9.2.3.d & Table 9.1.1 (Personal Vehicle Repair or Maintenance)
Home Occupations The home occupations accessory use category includes limited business activities carried out incidental to a Residential Housing principal use... The following uses are not considered a home occupation: auto or appliance repair, contractor's shop or storage, barber shop, beauty parlors, commercial stables or kennels, medical or dental office, body art, massage, or acupuncture. ...
Towing Companies
Somerville's Traffic Commission authorizes police-directed towing from public ways under M.G.L. c. 40, § 22D, capping the towing and storage fees an owner can be charged at the state-authorized rate. The towing contractor is liable for any damage caused during removal or storage.
Somerville Public-Way Towing Rules
Some RestrictionsSomerville Traffic Commission Regulations, Appendix E, Article X, §§ 10-1 through 10-4
In accordance with the provisions of Chapter 40, § 22D of the General Laws of Massachusetts... the Traffic Commission of the City of Somerville hereby enacts the following regulations authorizing the removal to a convenient place of vehicles parked or standing in any manner... The Traffic Commission hereby imposes upon the owner of any vehicle moved or towed to a convenient place, under the pro...