Business Licensing & Operations in St. Louis County, MO (2026)
7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in St. Louis County, Missouri.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
St. Louis County keeps adult businesses 1,000 feet from churches, schools, libraries, parks, and other adult uses, and 300 feet from residential zoning.
Adult Business Zoning Spacing Rule
Significant RestrictionsSLCRO § 1003.167, item 18
An adult business shall not be located within one thousand (1,000) feet of the property line of any church, school, library, or park, nor within three hundred (300) feet of any property zoned "R" Residence District or "NU" Non-Urban District, nor within one thousand (1,000) feet of two (2) other such uses. An adult business is any business which offers its patrons goods of which a substantial p...
Massage Establishments
Anyone operating a massage establishment or outcall service in unincorporated St. Louis County needs a permit from the Director of Licenses under County Code §626.041, backed by a $500 non-refundable application fee. The county won't approve a location within 1,000 feet of a school, church, synagogue or another massage establishment (§626.035), and every licensed business must close between 1:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Violators risk six months in jail and a $500 fine.
St. Louis County Massage Establishment Permit
Significant RestrictionsSt. Louis County Code §§626.041, 626.035
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, conduct or carry on, or to permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, in or upon any premises in the county, the operation of a massage establishment or an outcall massage service, as herein defined, without first having obtained a permit duly issued by the Director, as set forth herein. ... 626.035 - Massage Establishments—Limitations on...
Tattoo & Body Modification
St. Louis County requires a $100 annual permit from the Director of Health before any establishment can tattoo or pierce skin in the unincorporated county, per County Code §621.030. New shops cannot open within 500 feet of a school building, tattoo artists need a separate operator's card, and clients under 18 need notarized parental consent. Violators face up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.
St. Louis County Tattoo & Piercing Permit
Some RestrictionsSt. Louis County Code §621.030
1. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation owning, controlling or leasing, acting as agent for, conducting, managing or operating any establishment to engage in the practice of tattooing or body piercing without first applying for and receiving a permit for the establishment from the Director in the manner herein provided. No permit shall be issued permitting the operation of a...
Tobacco Retail License
Unincorporated St. Louis County requires anyone selling tobacco products or electronic smoking devices, including vapes and e-cigarettes, to hold a license issued by the Department of Public Health. The license costs $125 a year per retail location plus $25 per vending machine, and no new tobacco license can issue within 1,000 feet of a school.
St. Louis County Tobacco & Vape Retail License
Some RestrictionsSt. Louis County Code § 602.361
No person shall sell tobacco products or electronic smoking devices unless the person is authorized to do so by a license issued by the Department, or is an employee or agent of a person who has been issued a license by the Department. Following the date on which this section becomes effective, no licenses will be issued to persons selling tobacco products within one thousand (1,000) feet of sc...
Secondhand Dealers
St. Louis County requires every junk dealer, scrap-metal processor, auto parts dealer and person dealing in secondhand goods in the unincorporated county to log each purchase, per Code §719.025: the seller's name, address, signature and driver's license number, a description and quantity of the goods, the date, and the item's serial or vehicle identification number. Records must be kept three years and are open to police inspection at any time.
St. Louis County Secondhand Dealer Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Louis County Code §§719.020, 719.025
(10)Person dealing in secondhand goods—Every person who engages in the business of buying or selling metals of any kind. ... Every auto parts dealer, junk dealer, scrap-metal processor, person dealing in secondhand goods, or foundry shall keep a record of purchases of all auto parts and metals as defined herein, which record shall contain: (a)The name and address of each person from whom the au...
Pawnbrokers
Anyone running a pawnshop in unincorporated St. Louis County must hold a Director of Revenue pawnbroker license, capped at one for every 30,000 unincorporated residents. New applicants need $50,000 in net assets, a $5,000 bond, $20,000 in liability insurance, and pay a $500 investigation fee plus a $500 annual fee; shops must stay closed from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.
St. Louis County Pawnbroker License Rules
Significant RestrictionsSt. Louis County Code §§ 818.040, 818.060
1. No person shall operate a pawnshop in unincorporated St. Louis County unless such person obtains a pawnshop license issued by the Director of Revenue of St. Louis County, Missouri. A license is required for each place where pawnbroking business is transacted; and no one shall act as an agent, employee or solicitor for any pawnbroker while such pawnbroker is engaged in such business at a plac...
Towing Companies
Every tow truck operating in unincorporated St. Louis County needs a $35 annual license from the Director of Licenses, plus a filed price schedule and proof of insurance.
St. Louis County Tow Truck License
Significant RestrictionsSLCRO Section 813.025
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a tow truck within the County unless the owner of the tow truck shall first have obtained a license from the Director for said tow truck. Application for a license shall be made by the tow truck owner on a form furnished by the Director, and any license issued shall be affixed to the lower left corner of the windshield of the tow truck for which th...
Business Licensing & Operations by City in St. Louis County
1 cities in St. Louis County have their own business licensing & operations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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