Business Licensing & Operations in Frederick County, VA (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Frederick County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
In Frederick County outside Winchester, Stephens City and Middletown, an adult retail use must sit at least 2,500 feet from the property line of any school, church, park, day-care facility, residential use or district, or existing adult retail use under § 165-704.01, and cannot operate inside a shopping center or multitenant building at all.
Frederick County Adult Retail Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsFrederick County Code § 165-704.01
§ 165-704.01. ... Adult retail. A. Adult retail uses shall comply with the minimum requirements of this chapter, any conditions imposed by the Board of Supervisors, and the following minimum conditions: (1) Adult retail uses shall be located at least 2,500 feet from the property line of the following uses: (a) Existing adult retail uses; (b) Schools; (c) Churches and places of worship; (d) Park...
Massage Establishments
Frederick County requires every massage parlor to hold a business license under Code § 155-96C(3), at a flat $200 per year that cannot be prorated for a partial year or transferred to a new owner or location. The license is conditioned on meeting the county's separate massage-establishment standards in Chapter 112, on top of the underlying business license rules in Chapter 155.
Frederick County Massage Parlor License
Some RestrictionsFrederick County Code § 155-96C(3)
C. Instead of the license fees specified in Subsections A and B above and except as provided in Subsection C(9)(f), every other such person or business subject to licensure under this article shall be assessed and required to pay a license tax as set forth below for the class of enterprise listed: ... (3) For massage parlors, $200 per year, and must meet the requirements of Chapter 112 of the F...
Secondhand Dealers
Frederick County requires junk dealers with an established place of business to hold a business license under Code § 155-101, taxed the same as retailers under the county's gross-receipts schedule. No license is issued to an itinerant junk dealer, and pawnbrokers are licensed separately from junk dealers under § 155-102.
Frederick County Junk Dealer License
Some RestrictionsFrederick County Code § 155-101
A. Junk dealers, as defined in § 59.1-116.1, Code of Virginia, shall be licensed based on their gross receipts and shall pay the same license tax or fees as retailers as set forth in this chapter if they have an established place of business in Frederick County. No business license shall be issued to any itinerant junk dealer. B. Pawnbrokers are included under separate listing of this article a...
Pawnbrokers
Frederick County requires anyone running a pawnbroking business in the unincorporated county to hold a business license taxed on gross receipts, the same as a retailer, under County Code § 155-102. The license is available only to pawnbrokers with an established place of business; itinerant pawnbroking is barred outright, and operating without the required license is a criminal offense.
Pawnbroker License in Frederick County
Some RestrictionsFrederick County Code §§ 155-102, 155-110.A
§ 155-102. Pawnbrokers. ... Pawnbrokers, as defined in § 54.1-4000, Code of Virginia, shall be licensed on their gross receipts and must pay the same license tax or fees as retailers as set forth in this chapter if they have an established place of business in Frederick County. No business license shall be issued to any itinerant pawnbroker. § 155-1 ... ... 10. Violations and penalties. A. It s...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
A residential auto-repair operation in Frederick County outside Winchester, Stephens City and Middletown must meet the home-occupation standards of § 165-702.05: no offensive noise, smoke or odor, only one business vehicle, and commercial vehicles are prohibited outright.
Home Auto Repair Limits, Frederick County VA
Significant RestrictionsFrederick County Code § 165-702.05.C(3)-(5)
§ 165-702.05. ... Home occupations. ... The home occupation shall not produce offensive noise, vibrations, smoke, dust, heat, odor, glare, traffic hazards, or congestion and shall not adversely affect the surrounding properties. ... One business vehicle is allowed. ... Commercial vehicles as defined in Article XI, Definitions, of this chapter are prohibited.
All Frederick County ordinances
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