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Business Licensing & Operations in Westland, MI (2026)

7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Westland, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Adult Entertainment

Any Westland establishment selling sexually explicit books, videos or magazines must shield them from public view, keep them out of windows, and restrict access to buyers 18 and older.

Westland Restricts Display Of Adult Material

Some Restrictions

Westland Code of Ordinances § 62-314(a)(1) (Ord. No. 109-M, § 1, 5-21-01)

(a)Any establishment that sells books, newspapers, videotapes, magazines, or other printed or written materials or any pictures, drawings, photographs, or motion pictures, which are distinguished or characterized by their emphasis on matter depicting, describing or relating to specific sexual activities or specific anatomical areas shall comply with the following requirements:(1)That any displa...

Massage Establishments

Westland requires a separate city clerk license for every massage establishment location, plus state-licensed therapists, background checks, and closure between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Westland Massage Establishment License

Significant Restrictions

Westland Code of Ordinances § 26-381(a)

No person shall open or cause to be opened, or conduct, maintain or operate, any massage establishment without a license from the city clerk.(b)Each location. Each massage establishment location requires a separate license.(c)Massage therapist license required. No person shall practice massage therapy at a massage establishment unless he or she has a valid massage therapist license issued pursu...

Tattoo & Body Modification

Westland's zoning ordinance classifies tattoo artist establishments as a personal service use, permitted by right in five of the city's six commercial/mixed-use zoning districts: every one except Office Business (OB).

Westland Tattoo Shop Zoning Rules

Light Restrictions

City of Westland Zoning Ordinance § 5.2 (Permitted Land Uses Table — Personal Service Uses)

Sec. 5.2. Permitted land uses. ... Personal service uses, including barber shops, beauty salons, nail care, tanning salons, tattoo artist establishments, locksmiths, and similar uses

Tobacco Retail License

Westland bars new retail tobacco, hookah and vape shops from locating within 500 feet of any place of worship, school, park, playground, or place where minors gather.

Westland Vape Shop 500-Foot Buffer

Significant Restrictions

City of Westland Zoning Ordinance § 8.17(a)

a. No such use shall be permitted within 500 feet of any site on which is located a place of worship, school, park or playground, or any area where minors regularly congregate.

Secondhand Dealers

Westland requires anyone dealing in secondhand goods or junk to obtain a city clerk license, submit fingerprints, and log every purchase in a police-inspectable record book before reselling items.

Westland Secondhand & Junk Dealer License

Some Restrictions

Westland Code of Ordinances § 26-1(1)

A person, corporation, co-partnership, or firm shall not carry on the business of dealer in second hand goods or junk dealer in the city without having first obtained, from the city clerk, a license under this act authorizing that person, corporation, co-partnership, or firm to carry on that business.

Pawnbrokers

Westland treats pawnbrokers as secondhand dealers requiring a city clerk license, and lets police place up to 90-day investigative holds on pawned property suspected of being stolen.

Westland Pawnbroker Licensing Rules

Some Restrictions

Westland Code of Ordinances § 26-3(f)(i)

The term "second hand dealer" includes a "pawnbroker" as that term is defined in section 3 of the Pawnbrokers Act, 1917 PA 273, MCL 446.203(e).

Auto Repair on Residential Property

Westland's zoning ordinance flatly excludes vehicle repair or painting from the home-occupation category, so residents can't run an auto-repair business out of their house or garage as their principal occupation.

Westland Bars Home Auto Repair

Heavy Restrictions

Westland Zoning Ordinance § 8.1.1(i) (Ord. No. 248, adopted Oct. 21, 2024)

The following uses are not permitted as home occupations if conducted as a person's principal occupation and the person's dwelling is used as the principal place of business: vehicle repair or painting, dental office and medical office.

Looking for Wayne County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Westland city rules.

Business Licensing & Operations in Wayne County