Business Licensing & Operations in West Haven, CT (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for West Haven, Connecticut, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
In the City of West Haven, Connecticut, every adult-oriented establishment needs a license from the Chief of Police under Chapter 64 of the City Code. The application fee is $750, annual renewal costs $500, and a completed application left unanswered for 45 days is deemed granted.
West Haven Adult-Oriented Establishment License Rules
Significant RestrictionsWest Haven Code §§ 64-4, 64-6
§ 64-4. License required; application; qualifications. On or before January 1, 1996, the operator of each adult-oriented establishment shall be responsible for and shall acquire a license from the city in the following manner: A. The operators, as defined in § 64-2 above, of each adult-oriented establishment shall submit an application to the Chief of Police, upon a form to be provided by the C...
Massage Establishments
In the City of West Haven, Connecticut, no one can run a massage establishment without a permit from the Chief of Police, issued after Director of Health approval. The application fee and the annual renewal fee are each $50, and a public hearing is held on every application.
West Haven CT Massage Establishment Permit
Significant RestrictionsWest Haven Code §§ 146-4, 146-6
No person shall engage in, conduct or carry on or permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on in or upon any premises in the city the operation of a massage establishment without first having obtained a permit from the Chief of Police or his designee, after approval by the Director of Health. ... ... A. Each applicant for a permit to maintain, operate or conduct a massage establishment sha...
Tattoo & Body Modification
In the City of West Haven, Connecticut, no one can operate a tattoo establishment until the West Haven Health Department issues a license, and that license expires every March 1. Artists need a bloodborne pathogen certificate, plans need Health Department approval before construction, and the chapter lists an annual permit fee of $300.
West Haven Tattoo Establishment License Rules
Significant RestrictionsWest Haven Code § 210-4
B. Tattoo establishment licensure. (1) No person or person(s) shall operate a tattooing establishment until a tattoo establishment license from the Department has been issued. (2) The tattoo establishment license shall be issued by the Department prior to opening and shall expire on March 1 of each year. A license issued on or after January 1 shall expire on March 1 of the following year. ... (...
Tobacco Retail License
In the City of West Haven, Connecticut, anyone selling cigarettes as a dealer or taxed tobacco products at retail must hold a dealer's license from the state Commissioner of Revenue Services, and the applicant must give notice to the City Clerk, who posts it online for two weeks.
West Haven CT Cigarette Dealer License Notice Rules
Some RestrictionsWest Haven Code § 139-14
Each person engaging in, or intending to engage in, the business of selling cigarettes pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 14, in the City of West Haven as a dealer, and each person engaging in or intending to engage in, the business of selling taxed tobacco products at retail, shall secure a dealer's license from the Commissioner of Revenue Services before engaging in such busines...
Secondhand Dealers
In the City of West Haven, Connecticut, no one can work as a junk dealer or run a junkyard without a license from the Chief of Police. The license costs $10, names the place of business, and lasts one year unless revoked. Operating without complying is punishable by a fine of not more than $50.
West Haven Junk Dealer and Junkyard License
Significant RestrictionsWest Haven Code §§ 131-2, 131-4
No person shall engage in business as a junk dealer or operate a junkyard within the City of West Haven without first obtaining a license from the Chief of Police of the City of West Haven. ... The Chief of Police shall issue such license to such suitable persons as apply therefor, and he may revoke such license at any time for cause. The fee for each license shall be $10, and each license gran...
Pawnbrokers
No one can run a pawn business in the City of West Haven, Connecticut without a pawnbroker license granted by the Chief of Police with a majority vote of the Police Commissioners. The fee is $50, renewal is $25 per year, and a special permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission comes first under Chapter 173 of the West Haven Code.
West Haven Pawnbroker License Requirements
Significant RestrictionsWest Haven Code §§ 173-1, 173-3
§ 173-1. License required; exception. A. No person, corporation or partnership shall engage in or carry on the business of loaning money upon deposits or pledge of wearing apparel, jewelry, ornaments, household goods or other personal property, or of purchasing such property on condition of selling the same back again at a stipulated price, unless such person, corporation or partnership is firs...
Towing Companies
In the City of West Haven, Connecticut, a police officer acting for the Chief of Police can have a vehicle that violates the Severe Weather Ordinance towed at the owner's expense. Private storage lots are capped at $5 for each 24 hours, and the business or agency that towed must notify the owner by certified mail within three business days.
West Haven Severe Weather Towing and Storage Rules
Some RestrictionsWest Haven Code §§ 188-8, 188-9
A. In addition to the foregoing penalty, any police officer of the municipality, by the direction of the Chief of Police, on discovery of any vehicle parking in violation of this chapter, may remove or cause the same to be removed, at the owner's expense, to a designated municipally owned parking area. In the event that there are no municipally owned parking areas available for storage or addit...