Business Licensing & Operations in South Bend, IN (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for South Bend, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
South Bend requires every adult business, from bookstores to viewing-booth arcades, to hold a $500 annual license issued by the City Controller before opening. Adult bookstores and video stores must close between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and no adult business except an adult motel may stay open in that window. Operators face fines up to $2,500, license suspension, or revocation for violations.
South Bend Adult Business License Rules
Significant RestrictionsSouth Bend, IN, Code of Ordinances § 4-18.5
(b)License required.(1)No person shall operate an adult business without first obtaining a license hereunder, issued by the Controller...(d)Fees. The annual fee for an adult business license is five hundred dollars ($500.00). This fee is to be used to pay for the cost of the administration and enforcement of this section...(k)Hours of operation. Adult businesses shall be subject to the followin...
Massage Establishments
Operating a massage business in South Bend requires a $200 annual establishment license from the Board of Public Safety, and every practitioner needs a separate $75 massage therapy license, both renewed each March 1. The St. Joseph County Health Department inspects twice a year, and anyone convicted of a sex-act felony can never hold either license.
South Bend Massage Establishment License Rules
Significant RestrictionsSouth Bend, IN, Code of Ordinances § 4-35
(c)Massage establishment license required...It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, conduct, or carry on, in or upon any premises within the City of South Bend the business of a massage establishment without a license issued pursuant to the provisions of this section...(9)Irrespective of all other conditions or requirements, a massage establishment license or massage therapy license s...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Anyone operating a tattoo, body piercing, branding or scarifying business in South Bend needs a City license before opening, and every practitioner performing those services for a fee must be individually licensed too. Applicants need 600 hours of documented training, liability insurance, a physician's health certificate and a police background check before the City Controller's Office will issue a license.
South Bend Tattoo & Body Art Licensing
Significant RestrictionsSouth Bend, IN, Code of Ordinances ch. 13, Sec. 13-125
No person shall conduct, maintain, operate or cause to be conducted, maintained or operated, any establishment within the City of South Bend, Indiana, which provides any of the following services for a fee: tattooing, body piercing, body branding or body scarifying without first complying with all of the provisions of this Article and the applicable zoning regulations set forth in Chapter 21 of...
Secondhand Dealers
South Bend secondhand dealers need a $115 annual license from the City Controller after a Police Department background review, and must hold every item purchased for 15 days before reselling it. Buying from anyone under 18 is banned, nonprofits and pure consignment sellers are exempt, and violations run $200 to $2,500 per offense.
South Bend Secondhand Store License Rules
Some RestrictionsSouth Bend, IN, Code of Ordinances § 4-53
(b)License required. No person shall engage in the business of a secondhand store without first obtaining a license as required by this section...(d)License fee. The applicant for a second hand store licensed shall pay an annual fee of one hundred fifteen dollars ($115.00) to the Controller...(f)Secondhand Purchased Items to be Held Before Resale by Dealer. All secondhand purchased items, purch...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
South Bend treats any location, including a home garage, that repairs or services vehicles for a fee as an automotive repair and service center requiring a $200 annual license from the City Controller. Outdoor storage areas need a six-foot opaque fence, vehicles cannot sit in the required front yard, and street repairs are barred except in an emergency.
South Bend Home-Based Auto Repair Rules
Some RestrictionsSouth Bend, IN, Code of Ordinances § 4-20
(1)Automotive repair and service center shall mean any location where motor vehicle repair, servicing, and/or storage is done on the premises for a fee...(5)Stored vehicle shall mean any motor vehicle, or a portion of a motor vehicle, which remains on the premises of an automotive repair and service center for more than seventy-two (72) consecutive hours in any week.(B)License required. Any per...
Towing Companies
A South Bend company cannot tow, boot, or immobilize a vehicle from private property without an annual $125 vehicle removal service license and $50,000/$300,000 liability insurance on file with the Controller. Property owners must post a warning sign at least 24 hours before any tow, and operators must report every removal to the South Bend Police Department the same day.
South Bend Non-Consent Vehicle Towing Rules
Some RestrictionsSouth Bend, IN, Code of Ordinances § 4-20.5
(a)License required. No person shall engage in the business of towing or otherwise removing unauthorized vehicles from private property within the City, booting, impounding, disabling, or taking any other action having the effect of restricting the access to such vehicle...without first obtaining an annual vehicle removal service license...(d)License fee. If the applicant meets the requirements...
Looking for St. Joseph County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement South Bend city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in St. Joseph County →