Business Licensing & Operations in Manatee County, FL (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Manatee County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Manatee County requires every sexually oriented business and each of its employees to hold a county license under Chapter 2-2.5, and bars operation between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Applicants face background checks for specified criminal activity, and knowing violations carry fines up to $500 per day and jail time.
Manatee County Sexually Oriented Business License
Significant RestrictionsManatee County Code Sec. 2-2.5-4(a)-(c)
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a sexually oriented business in Manatee County without a valid sexually oriented business license.(b)It shall be unlawful for any person to be an "employee," as defined in this chapter, of a sexually oriented business in Manatee County without a valid sexually oriented business employee license.(c)An applicant for a sexually oriented business li...
Massage Establishments
Manatee County requires every massage establishment and therapist to hold a state Chapter 480 license on-site, keep exterior doors unlocked during business hours, and meet strict facility standards, from window-tint limits to a ban on beds and sofas, under Code Article IX, Sec. 2-19-109 to 2-19-116.
Massage Establishment Rules in Manatee County
Significant RestrictionsManatee County Code Sec. 2-19-113(h); Sec. 2-19-113(j)
Doors that permit entry into any room where massage is provided may not be equipped with locks or any device designed to prevent, impede, or delay entry into a room. Massage establishment exterior doors may be equipped with locks, but shall remain unlocked while the establishment is open. Exterior doors may remain locked while the establishment is open only if there is no more than one employee...
Tobacco Retail License
Manatee County bars retailers from selling tobacco through open, self-service displays: under Code Sec. 2-19-82, tobacco must sit behind the sales counter unless a clerk hands it over, with exceptions only for adults-only stores and dedicated tobacco shops.
Tobacco Self-Service Display Ban in Manatee County
Some RestrictionsManatee County Code Sec. 2-19-82; Sec. 2-19-83
It shall be unlawful to sell, permit to be sold, or to offer for sale any tobacco product by means of self-service tobacco merchandising or to display tobacco products for sale unless the tobacco products are located behind the sales counter and are not available to customer access without the intervention of a retail tobacco products dealer or an employee thereof. ... The prohibitions of secti...
Secondhand Dealers
Manatee County requires secondhand dealers buying regulated goods, jewelry, electronics, and household appliances, to record every seller's ID and hold the item 30 days before resale, under Code Article VIII, Sec. 2-19-100 to 2-19-108.
Secondhand Dealer Rules in Manatee County
Some RestrictionsManatee County Code Sec. 2-19-106(2); Sec. 2-19-107
(2)A secondhand dealer shall not sell, barter, exchange, alter, adulterate, use, or in any way dispose of any regulated secondhand good received as part of a transaction for a period of thirty (30) calendar days from the date the transaction record was received by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.(3)Upon the expiration of the holding period, the secondhand dealer shall notify, in writing, th...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Manatee County lets residents do minor auto work at home, but only on a vehicle they or a tenant actually own, limited to jobs like an oil change, battery, tire or spark-plug swap, or a tune-up. Fluids can't drain onto grass, soil or the right-of-way, work can't spill onto a public street except in an emergency, and anything bigger has to move to a properly zoned shop.
Home Auto Repair Rules in Manatee County
Some RestrictionsManatee County Code Sec. 2-9-105(r)
(r)Minor service or repair work on motor vehicles and restricted vehicles may take place on residential property in compliance with all of the following requirements:(1)The property owner or tenant shall own the motor vehicle or restricted vehicle being serviced or repaired.(2)Minor service or repair work shall be limited to minor work such as changing or adding oil or other fluids, changing a ...
Towing Companies
Manatee County caps what a tow truck operator may charge for a non-consensual tow and bars bars and restaurants from ordering a parked vehicle removed between 9 p.m. and noon the next day without a signed removal order, under Code Article V, Sec. 2-19-71 through 2-19-75.
Non-Consent Towing Rate Caps in Manatee County
Some RestrictionsManatee County Code Sec. 2-19-72(a); Sec. 2-19-74(1)
(a)For vehicles with a gross weight of ten thousand (10,000) pounds or less or vehicles carrying a vessel fifteen (15) feet or less in length:1.One hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00) for travel to the scene and the first thirty (30) minutes thereafter at the scene;2.One hundred dollars ($100.00) per hour, measured in fifteen (15) minute increments, after the first thirty (30) minutes at the ...
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