Business Licensing & Operations in St. Joseph County, IN (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated St. Joseph County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Any sexually oriented business in unincorporated St. Joseph County needs a county auditor permit before opening, backed by a criminal-history check from the police department and a zoning sign-off from the building department. Applicants must submit a surveyor's certificate mapping every school, church, park and residential zone within 1,000 feet of the site.
St. Joseph County Sexually Oriented Business Permits
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County, Ind., Code of Ordinances § 115.03(A), (F)(9)
(A)No person shall conduct, maintain, operate or cause to be conducted, maintained or operated any sexually oriented business within the unincorporated areas of the county without first being licensed under this chapter. ... (F)(9)A current certificate and straight-line drawing prepared within 30 days prior to application by a State of Indiana registered land surveyor depicting the property lin...
Massage Establishments
Anyone operating a massage establishment or practicing massage therapy in unincorporated St. Joseph County needs a separate annual permit from the county health department under Chapter 113 of the Code of Ordinances. Applications are due by February 28 each year, cost a fee set by the county commissioners, and are automatically denied to any applicant convicted of a felony sex offense in any state or country, regardless of other qualifications.
St. Joseph County Massage Establishment License
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County, Ind., Code of Ordinances §§ 113.05, 113.06
§ 113.05. Permit requirements. (A)All persons intending to operate a massage therapy establishment or practice massage therapy shall obtain the appropriate permit from the health department subject to the exceptions listed section 113.05(B)....(C)Irrespective of all other conditions, requirements, and exceptions listed in this chapter 113, a massage establishment permit or massage therapy permi...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Anyone who tattoos or pierces bodies for pay in unincorporated St. Joseph County, and any facility where the work happens, needs a separate annual permit from the county health officer under Chapter 114. Practitioners must be at least 21 and apprentices at least 18 and supervised by a permitted mentor, and mobile tattoo or piercing operators must notify the health department 72 hours before an event.
St. Joseph County Tattoo & Piercing Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County, Ind., Code of Ordinances § 114.09
§ 114.09. Permit requirements for facilities and practitioners. (A)Permit. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a tattoo/body piercing facility in St. Joseph County, Indiana without a valid permit from the health officer. The permit shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises of the permitted facility...The permit for a facility/practitioner shall be valid for a term of one...
Secondhand Dealers
Running a secondhand store in unincorporated St. Joseph County requires a license from the county auditor, granted only after the county sheriff reviews the application and the county council signs off. Licensed dealers must log every purchase in a permanent, numbered ledger, hold non-clothing goods 14 days before resale, and never buy from anyone under 18.
St. Joseph County Secondhand Dealer Licensing
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County, Ind., Code of Ordinances § 111.01
(A)Definition. Any person who keeps or maintains a business for the purpose or sale of secondhand clothing, secondhand furniture or secondhand goods, wares or merchandise of any kind, shall be considered as "operating a secondhand store".(B)Licensing required. No person shall engage in the business of a secondhand store without first obtaining a license as required by this section. ... (G)Items...
Pawnbrokers
St. Joseph County doesn't run its own pawnbroker license; that's a state function under Indiana law. Instead, the county zoning code treats every pawnshop as a "controlled use," barring it from sitting within 1,000 feet of another controlled use and confining it to Commercial and Industrial districts only.
St. Joseph County Pawnshop Location Rules
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County, Ind., Zoning Ordinance § 154.476
(A)General. In order to prevent the development of a blighted area, no building or premises may be used and no building may be erected, moved, structurally altered or enlarged, for any controlled use, if the building or premises is located within 1,000 feet of any two:(1)Uses listed below as controlled uses; or(2)Family restaurant with lounge. Whether the uses are located within the unincorpora...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Fixing cars, other vehicles, lawn mowers, or large appliances for pay is banned as a home occupation anywhere in unincorporated St. Joseph County. Section 154.072(C) lists automobile and vehicle repair first among the uses the zoning ordinance says grow too fast and hurt neighboring residential properties, so no permit or variance turns a home garage into a repair shop.
St. Joseph County Home Auto Repair Ban
Heavy RestrictionsSt. Joseph County, Ind., Zoning Ordinance § 154.072(C)(1)
(C)Prohibited home occupations. The following uses, by the nature of the investment or operation involved, have a pronounced tendency, once started, to rapidly increase beyond the limits specified above for home occupations and thereby impair the use, value and quiet enjoyment of adjacent residential properties. Therefore, the uses specified below and other similar or comparable uses shall not ...
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