Business Licensing & Operations in Spotsylvania County, VA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Spotsylvania County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Spotsylvania County confines adult oriented businesses to its I-1 and I-2 industrial districts and requires a 1,000-foot buffer from residences, schools, parks, churches, and other adult businesses. A special use permit is required, and the business cannot operate between 11:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.
Spotsylvania County Adult Business Spacing Rule
Significant RestrictionsSpotsylvania County Code § 23-4.5.7(c)
(a)No permit shall be authorized for such use or structure less than a distance of one thousand (1,000) feet from any:i.residential district boundary or residential use;ii.child day care center;iii.school, public or private, and their adjunct play areas and school board property, college or university;iv.public park, playground, swimming pool;v.public library, museum, or cultural center;vi.hist...
Massage Establishments
Operating a massage establishment in Spotsylvania County without a valid permit is a Class 1 misdemeanor under County Code Sec. 11.1A-4. The permit, issued by the county administrator under Sec. 11.1A-10, costs a nonrefundable $75 application fee, lasts two years, and requires fingerprinting and a criminal background check for every owner, officer and manager.
Spotsylvania County Massage Establishment License
Significant RestrictionsSpotsylvania County Code §§ 11.1A-4(b), 11.1A-10
(b)Violation. It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision or provisions of this article. Any person violating any provision or provisions of this article shall be guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor. ... (a)No person shall engage in, conduct, or carry on a massage establishment within the county without a valid, nonsuspended permit issued pursuant to this division.(b)A massage esta...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Spotsylvania County zones tattoo parlors as a personal service establishment, the same use category as barber shops and tanning salons, rather than as a stand-alone use. That classification, defined at County Code § 23-2.1.4, controls which zoning districts a tattoo studio can operate in and feeds into the county's personal-services business license tax.
Spotsylvania County Tattoo Parlor Zoning Rule
Some RestrictionsSpotsylvania County Code § 23-2.1.4
Personal service establishment means any building wherein the primary occupation is the repair, care of, maintenance or customizing of personal properties that are worn or carried about the person or are a physical component of the person. For the purpose of this chapter, personal service establishments shall include but are not limited to barber shops, beauty parlors, tanning salons, day spas,...
Secondhand Dealers
Spotsylvania County requires anyone who buys secondhand precious metals or gems, chapter 17's 'dealer', to hold a sheriff-issued permit, post a $10,000 bond, and file a $200 application. Sec. 17-56 makes operating without one unlawful, and dealers must verify each seller's government ID and hold purchased items for 10 days before resale.
Spotsylvania County Secondhand Dealer Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsSpotsylvania County Code §§ 17-56, 17-57
No person shall engage in the activities of a dealer within the county, unless he has a current permit so to do issued pursuant to this division. ... Any person desiring a permit required by this division shall file with the sheriff an application form which shall include the applicant's full name and any aliases and his address, age, date of birth, sex and fingerprints; the name, address and t...
Pawnbrokers
Spotsylvania County defines and regulates pawnbrokers under chapter 17.1, requiring every pawnbroker to file a daily electronic report of pledged and purchased goods with the Sheriff's Office by noon the following day. Sec. 17.1-8 makes a violation a Class 4 misdemeanor, and the report must include the seller's ID and item serial numbers.
Spotsylvania County Pawnbroker Reporting Rules
Some RestrictionsSpotsylvania County Code § 17.1-8
(a)Every pawnbroker shall prepare a daily report of all goods, articles or things pawned, pledged or sold to him or her that day and shall file such report by noon of the following day with the county sheriff's office. The report shall include the pledger's or seller's name, residence, and driver's license number or other form of identification; a photograph or digital image of the form of iden...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Spotsylvania County allows a small automobile, tractor, or trailer repair shop in its rural and agricultural districts, A-1, A-2, A-3, and Ru, only as a special use capped at 1,000 square feet, sited near a state-numbered road intersection, and built to match the county's traditional rural architecture.
Spotsylvania County Home Auto Repair Shop Rule
Significant RestrictionsSpotsylvania County Code § 23-4.5.7(b)(1)
(b)Use specific standards in the A-1, A-2, A-3 and Ru districts:(1)Automobile, tractor and trailer repair shops in the A-1, A-2, A-3 and Ru districts:a.The floor area of the use shall not exceed one thousand (1,000) square feet;b.The use shall be located within two hundred fifty (250) feet of an intersection where at least one (1) of the intersecting roads is a state numbered road;c.The use sha...
Towing Companies
Spotsylvania County limits sheriff-requested vehicle towing to firms on its towing rotation list. Sec. 12-226 creates a towing advisory board and restricts the article to law enforcement-requested tows; Sec. 12-228 requires an annual $100 application, and Sec. 12-231 gives authorized towers just 30 minutes to reach a scene once dispatched.
Spotsylvania County Towing Company Requirements
Significant RestrictionsSpotsylvania County Code §§ 12-226, 12-228, 12-231
This article is promulgated by the board of supervisors of the county, pursuant to authority provided in the Virginia Code § 46.2-1217, to ensure storage, availability and service by persons and firms authorized to provide towing services at the request of law enforcement personnel. The provisions of this article are only applicable to tows requested by authorized law enforcement officers. ... ...
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