Business Licensing & Operations in Hanover County, VA (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Hanover County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Hanover County's Zoning Ordinance keeps adult book stores, adult theaters and massage parlors or health clubs away from homes: no such use may sit within 500 feet of a residential district boundary, its parking must stay 300 feet back, and no more than two adult uses may cluster within 1,000 feet of each other under Section 26-301.
Hanover County adult use spacing rules
Significant RestrictionsHanover County Code § 26-301(c)(1)-(3)
(c)Location and extent:(1)Except as in (4) below, no such permit shall authorize such use or structure less than five hundred (500) feet from any residential district boundary.(2)Except as in (4) below, all off-street parking spaces serving such uses shall be located at least three hundred (300) feet from the nearest residential district boundary.(3)Except as in (4) below no more than two (2) s...
Massage Establishments
Hanover County makes it unlawful for a massage establishment to have staff provide physical contact with a client of the opposite sex, under section 17-9 of the county code. Licensed medical professionals, certified massage therapists and barbershops or beauty parlors doing scalp, face or neck massage are exempted.
Massage Establishment Rules in Hanover County, VA
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 17-9
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to provide massage services in exchange for consideration, or to operate a public or private establishment providing such services, where any physical contact with the recipient of such services is provided by a person of the opposite sex.(b)This section shall not apply to a physician, surgeon, chiropractor, osteopath, naturopath or physical therapist duly...
Tobacco Retail License
Hanover County zones tobacco, vape, hemp and kratom retail as 'Recreational Substances, retail stores' under Section 26-292.8, capping hours at 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and imposing school, park and inter-store distance buffers before a store may operate.
Hanover County Tobacco & Vape Retail Standards
Significant RestrictionsHanover County Code §§ 26-6, 26-292.8
(1)Any product made of tobacco including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and pipe tobacco;(2)Any noncombustible product containing nicotine or vaping fluid that employs a heating element, power source, or other electronic, chemical, or mechanical means, regardless of shape or size, that can be used to produce vapor from a solution or other form; ... Unless modified or otherwise condition...
Secondhand Dealers
Anyone buying secondhand gold, silver, platinum or gems in Hanover County needs an annual $200 Sheriff's permit under Code § 12.5-45, with fingerprints, photo ID and a background check, in Hanover County outside the Town of Ashland.
Precious Metals Dealer Permits in Hanover County
Significant RestrictionsHanover County Code § 12.5-45
(a)Required. ... No person shall engage in the county in the activities of a dealer without first obtaining a permit from the sheriff.(b)Application; issuance; fee. To obtain a permit, the dealer shall file with the sheriff an application form which shall include the dealer's full name, aliases, address, age, date of birth, sex, fingerprints and photograph; the name, address and telephone numbe...
Pawnbrokers
No one may operate as a pawnbroker in Hanover County without a license from the Sheriff under Code § 12.5-31, which requires a circuit court order, a bond, fingerprints and a background disclosure, in Hanover County outside the Town of Ashland.
Pawnbroker Licensing in Hanover County
Significant RestrictionsHanover County Code § 12.5-31
(a)Required. ... No person shall engage in the business of a pawnbroker without first obtaining a license from the Sheriff.(b)Application; issuance. Prior to the issuance of the license, the applicant shall furnish to the Sheriff an order of the county circuit court issued pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 54.1-4001, as amended, authorizing the county to issue the license, and evidence of a bond ...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Hanover County's Zoning Ordinance flatly excludes automobile, motorcycle and truck repair, body work and painting from the definition of a home occupation, so residents outside the Town of Ashland cannot operate a vehicle-repair business from a house, garage or driveway under the county's home-occupation rules in Section 26-279, whether by right or by special exception.
Hanover County Bars Home Auto Repair Businesses
Heavy RestrictionsHanover County Code § 26-6
Home occupation: Any occupation, profession, enterprise or activity conducted by one (1) or more members of a family, which is incidental and secondary to the residential use of the premises by the family, including the following uses and those with similar land use characteristics: ... A home occupation shall not be interpreted to include the conduct of nursing homes, convalescent homes, rest ...
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