Business Licensing & Operations in Prince George's County, MD (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Prince George's County requires a police-issued premises license for any adult entertainment club, plus separate licenses for every entertainer and manager. Clubs must close between 1:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., keep entertainers at least six feet from patrons, and bar anyone under 18.
Adult Entertainment Club Licensing in PG County
Significant RestrictionsPrince George's County Code §§ 5-2602(a), 5-2612
Beginning October 16, 2006, it shall be unlawful for a person to operate or maintain an adult entertainment premises in Prince George's County unless the owner, operator or lessee thereof has obtained from the Chief a license to do so, to be designated an "adult entertainment premises". ... It is unlawful for any adult entertainment premises to be conducted, operated, or otherwise open to the p...
Massage Establishments
Operating a massage establishment in Prince George's County without a license from the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement is unlawful. Annual license fees run $1,500 for shops with up to three massage technicians or $3,000 for four or more, plus a nonrefundable $250 investigation fee per application.
PG County Massage Establishment License Rules
Significant RestrictionsPG County Code §§ 5-184.03(a), 5-184.04(a)
(a)No person shall engage in, conduct, or carry on a massage establishment unless an application therefor has been approved and a license issued by the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement in compliance with this Division. ... Every person conducting or engaging in business as a massage establishment shall pay an annual license fee based on the number of licensed massage techn...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Prince George's County's Zoning Ordinance bars tattoo and body-piercing establishments outright from every Rural and Agricultural and Residential base zone. Table 27-5101(c) marks the use "X" (prohibited) in all eleven zones from Reserved Open Space through RMF-48, so a shop can only locate in a nonresidential, commercial, or industrial zone under the Ordinance's companion use table.
Where Tattoo Shops Are Zoned in PG County
Significant RestrictionsPrince George's County Zoning Ordinance § 27-5101, Table 27-5101(c)
An "X" under a base or Planned Development (PD) zone column indicates that the use is prohibited as a principal use in the zone. ... All uses not listed are prohibited. ... | Tattoo or body piercing establishment | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Tobacco Retail License
Prince George's County charges tobacco shops, electronic cigarette shops, retail tobacco businesses and convenience stores holding a state tobacco retail license a $5,000 Special Quality of Life Impact Uses fee before the county will issue a Use and Occupancy permit, plus a $5,000 annual renewal fee.
PG County $5,000 Tobacco & Vape Shop Fee
Significant RestrictionsPrince George's County Code Sec. 2-253.63(j)(1)(B), (j)(2)
(j)Special Quality of Life Impact Uses.(1)The following fees shall apply and be remitted in advance of the issuance of Use and Occupancy permits for the following uses:...(B)Any business that is a tobacco shop, electronic cigarette shop, retail tobacco business, or convenience store use, as prescribed under Part 27-5 of Subtitle 27 of the Code, with a tobacco retail license issued by the Maryla...
Secondhand Dealers
Prince George's County requires anyone buying used goods for resale, including pawnbrokers, to hold an annual Secondhand Dealer or Pawn Dealer's License from the Director of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement. Pawn dealer licenses are capped at 31 countywide, and every purchase must be logged and reported to police.
Secondhand and Pawn Dealer Licensing in PG County
Significant RestrictionsPrince George's County Code § 5-234(a), (e)
It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, or other business entity in Prince George's County to operate as, or act as agent for, a secondhand dealer or pawn dealer unless in possession of a valid and unsuspended Secondhand Dealer or Pawn Dealer's License issued by the Director of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement. ... The number of pawn dealer licenses shall be limited to thirty-...
Pawnbrokers
Prince George's County caps the number of pawn dealer licenses at 31 countywide and requires every secondhand or pawn dealer to be licensed by DPIE, keep detailed transaction records, and report daily to County Police through the RAPID database. Dealers may operate only between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
PG County Pawnbroker Licensing Rules
Significant RestrictionsPG County Code § 5-234(a), (e)
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, or other business entity in Prince George's County to operate as, or act as agent for, a secondhand dealer or pawn dealer unless in possession of a valid and unsuspended Secondhand Dealer or Pawn Dealer's License issued by the Director of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement. ... (e)The number of pawn dealer licenses shall be limited to t...
Towing Companies
Prince George's County requires every towing company to hold a Department of the Environment license, with a separate Level 2 category for non-consensual tows from private property. Operators face a $5,000 unlicensed-operation fine and strict limits on where and how far they can tow a vehicle.
Non-Consensual Towing License Rules in PG County
Significant RestrictionsPrince George's County Code § 5-268(a)
Level 1: Consensual Towing, the towing of a motor vehicle at the request of the owner or the owner's agent, insurer, primary lienholder or law enforcement officer; Level 2: Non-Consensual Towing, the towing of a motor vehicle from private property at the request of the owner of the property, the owner's designee, or law enforcement officer, and Consensual Towing.
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