Business Licensing & Operations in Shelby County, TN (2026)
2 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Shelby County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
Secondhand Dealers
Shelby County requires every dealer in secondhand automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and their accessories to log each transaction in a bound register and report it to police daily, and it bars reselling any item for 24 hours after that report goes in. Trading with a minor requires the minor's parent or guardian to sign off in writing first.
Secondhand Vehicle Dealer Rules in Shelby County
Significant RestrictionsShelby County Code §§ 8-75, 8-77
It shall be the duty of every dealer in secondhand automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, and other self-propelled vehicles, and secondhand bicycles, and secondhand accessories for all such vehicles, to keep a well-bound book and enter therein in legible manuscript or typewriting a particular, minute and detailed description of every secondhand automobile, truck, motorcycle, or other self-propelled ...
Towing Companies
Wrecker and towing operators can't work the roads of unincorporated Shelby County without a license from the county clerk, one per truck, at $1.00 for handling plus a $25.00 annual fee. The sheriff's office runs the rotation call list, sets zones, and can pull a truck from dispatch for breaking its rules of operation.
Shelby County Wrecker & Towing License Rules
Some RestrictionsShelby County Code § 8-602
No wrecker or towing operator shall engage in the business within the county or offer such service to any motor vehicle upon the roads, streets or highways of the county unless a license is obtained from the county clerk for each wrecker or towing car operated by the wrecker or towing operator. A fee of $1.00 shall be paid to the county clerk for the handling and issuing of the license.
Business Licensing & Operations by City in Shelby County
1 cities in Shelby County have their own business licensing & operations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Shelby County ordinances
See every category we cover for Shelby County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Shelby County Ordinance Hub →