Business Licensing & Operations in Yakima, WA (2026)
7 verified business licensing & operations rules for Yakima, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Yakima requires a city license to operate adult entertainment, confines the use to the M-1 zone, and bars it within 800 to 1,500 feet of schools, parks or similar uses.
Yakima Adult Entertainment License & Zoning
Significant RestrictionsYakima Municipal Code § 5.30.020
It is unlawful for a person to own, conduct or operate an adult entertainment establishment unless such establishment is licensed as provided in this chapter. The annual fee for an adult entertainment establishment license and renewal shall be included in the city of Yakima master fee schedule adopted by city council via resolution. The license shall expire one year from the date of its issuanc...
Massage Establishments
Yakima requires every massage or reflexology business to hold a valid, non-transferable business license under YMC 5.52, subject to denial or revocation for trafficking convictions, unlicensed practice, or nuisance operations.
Yakima Massage Business License Required
Some RestrictionsYakima Municipal Code § 5.31.030
A person is prohibited from operating a massage or reflexology business without a valid business license pursuant to Yakima Municipal Code (YMC) 5.52. 2. A business license issued under this chapter is not assignable or transferable. 3. If a massage or reflexology business’s address or owner changes, the business license previously issued to the withdrawing owner or owners is considered c...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Yakima makes it a misdemeanor to tattoo anyone under eighteen, with no separate shop license required since the licensing sections of Chapter 5.76 were repealed.
Yakima Tattoo Age Restriction Law
Significant RestrictionsYakima Municipal Code § 5.76.025(1)
Every person who applies a tattoo to any minor under the age of eighteen is guilty of a misdemeanor. It is not a defense to a violation of this section that the person applying the tattoo did not know the minor's age, unless the person applying the tattoo establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she made a reasonable, bona fide attempt to ascertain the true age of the minor by ...
Secondhand Dealers
Anyone buying or reselling used personal property in Yakima more than twice a year, or running a resale event lasting over four days, must hold a secondhand dealer license. Revocation follows a city manager hearing, and violations are a gross misdemeanor.
Yakima Secondhand Dealer License Requirement
Significant RestrictionsYakima Municipal Code § 5.64.030
No person shall engage in the business of a secondhand dealer in the city of Yakima without first procuring a license therefor, and in order to procure a license he or she shall present to the city an application which shall contain the name of the applicant, the place where he or she proposes to conduct business, the name under which the same shall be conducted... The license and fee required ...
Pawnbrokers
Yakima pawnbrokers must obtain a city license backed by a $1,000 bond before opening, on top of the standard business license.
Yakima Pawnbroker License Requirement
Significant RestrictionsYakima Municipal Code § 5.54.020
No person shall engage in the business of a pawnbroker in the city of Yakima without first procuring a license therefor, and in order to procure a license he or she shall present to the city an application which shall contain the name of the applicant, the place where he or she proposes to conduct his or her business, the name under which the same shall be conducted, the names of persons intere...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Yakima flatly prohibits auto repair as a home occupation, along with kennels, vehicle painting and ten other uses judged too likely to outgrow a residential lot.
Yakima Bans Home Auto Repair Business
Heavy RestrictionsYakima Municipal Code § 15.04.120(H)(1)
The following uses, by the nature of their operation or investment, have a pronounced tendency, once started, to increase beyond the limits permitted for home occupations and impair the use and value of a residentially zoned area for residential purposes. Therefore, the uses listed below shall not be permitted as home occupations: 1. Auto repair; 2. Antique shop or gift shop; 3. Kennel...
Towing Companies
Tow companies that want Yakima's police-directed impound business must first be appointed as an agent of the police chief under YMC § 9.47.020: an application, ongoing compliance reports, and a $5,000 surety bond filed with the city clerk to protect owners from a negligent or dishonest operator.
Yakima Tow Truck Operator Registration Rules
Some RestrictionsYakima Municipal Code § 9.47.020(A)
Tow Truck Operator as Agent of Police Chief. The chief of police may appoint any tow truck operator engaged in removing and storing unauthorized vehicles and operation of an impoundment facility for such vehicles as agent of the chief of police for the purpose of impounding, holding and storing and disposing of unauthorized vehicles. Each such appointment shall be contingent upon the submission...
Looking for Yakima County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Yakima city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Yakima County →