Business Licensing & Operations in Sterling Heights, MI (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Sterling Heights, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Adult entertainment uses need special approval in Sterling Heights and must sit in a C-2 shopping center, 1,000 feet from any other such use.
Sterling Heights Adult Entertainment Spacing
Significant RestrictionsSterling Heights Zoning Ordinance § 12.02(I)
...shall be allowed as a special approval land use in the C-2 district, subject to the following requirements: 1. An adult entertainment use shall not be located closer than 1,000 feet from any other adult entertainment use; 2. All patron entrances for the adult entertainment use shall be located at least 1,000 feet from any church, school, playground or public park and 500 feet from any reside...
Massage Establishments
Sterling Heights caps massage establishment licenses citywide at 18 active at once, and operating a massage establishment or school without one is a chapter violation.
Sterling Heights Massage Establishment License
Significant RestrictionsSterling Heights City Code § 30-4
It shall be a violation of this article for any person to own or operate a massage establishment, including any massage school, without a license. For reasons of public health, safety, and welfare relating to past internal and neighboring investigations, public resources, and local demand, a maximum of 18 massage establishment licenses shall be issued and active at any given time. As of March 1...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Sterling Heights requires every body art facility, meaning any location offering tattooing, branding, or body piercing for pay, to hold both a state license from the Department of Community Health and a separate city permit from the City Clerk under Code of Ordinances § 12-123. The Macomb County Health Department inspects the premises, and the facility may not operate between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., with a narrow exception for microblading-only shops.
Sterling Heights Body Art Facility Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsSterling Heights Code of Ordinances § 12-123
(A) All body art facilities must be licensed by the Department of Community Health as required by state law. Inspections will be conducted by the Macomb County Health Department unless designated otherwise by the county. (B) All body art facilities shall also obtain a permit issued by the City Clerk. The fee for a body art facility permit, and for renewal of such permit, shall be in the ...
Tobacco Retail License
Retailers in Sterling Heights must keep vapor and alternative nicotine products behind the counter or in a locked case: self-service displays are illegal, and violators face a $500 civil infraction fine.
Sterling Heights Vapor Product Display Rules
Some RestrictionsSterling Heights Code of Ordinances § 35-99
A person who sells vapor products or alternative nicotine products at retail shall not display for sale a vapor product unless the vapor product is stored for sale behind a counter in an area accessible only to employees or within a locked case so that a customer wanting access to the vapor product must ask an employee for assistance. A person who violates this section is responsible for a muni...
Secondhand Dealers
Sterling Heights requires pawnshops, junk dealers, auto wreckers, and other secondhand merchants to register with the City Clerk, report transactions daily to police, and renew their certificate every April 30 under City Code § 12-21.
Sterling Heights Secondhand Merchant Registration
Significant RestrictionsSterling Heights Code of Ordinances § 12-21(B)
Every secondhand merchant shall register with the city as a secondhand merchant prior to undertaking any transactions involving secondhand personal property.... After the filing of a fully completed registration form and payment of the required fee, the City Clerk shall issue a certificate of registration.... The certificate of registration shall be effective until the following April 30.
Pawnbrokers
Sterling Heights requires every pawnbroker operating in the city to hold a license issued by the City Clerk under Code of Ordinances § 12-86, backed by a bond with two sureties. Holding a precious metal and gem dealer license or a secondhand dealer license does not exempt a business from this separate city licensing requirement, and the license is a revocable privilege, not a property right.
Sterling Heights Pawnbroker License Requirements
Significant RestrictionsSterling Heights Code of Ordinances § 12-86
(A) No person shall carry on the business of a pawnbroker in the city without first having obtained a license issued by the City Clerk, authorizing such person to carry on such business subject to the provisions of this article. The fee for a pawnbroker's license, and for renewal of such license, shall be in the amount established by the annual appropriations ordinance, but not more than the ...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Sterling Heights allows only minor auto repair as an accessory home use in its one-family districts. Zoning Ordinance Section 3.03(F) permits minor automobile repair but excludes major automotive repairs, including bumping and painting, and any repairs on vehicles not owned by residents of the home.
Sterling Heights Limits Home Auto Repair
Some RestrictionsSterling Heights Zoning Ordinance § 3.03(F)
F. Minor automobile repair, but excluding major automotive repairs, including bumping and/or painting and any repairs on vehicles not owned by persons living in the residence;
Looking for Macomb County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Sterling Heights city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Macomb County →