Business Licensing & Operations in North Dakota (2026)
17 rules on the books across North Dakota, 3 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Adult Entertainment
Zoning and licensing rules for adult entertainment establishments under LAMC §12.70, including distance buffers from schools, churches, and residential zones.
Fargo
Significant RestrictionsFargo requires adult establishments to sit 1,250 feet from schools, parks, and residential zones, and 750 feet from…
Read full rule →Grand Forks
Significant RestrictionsGrand Forks requires a city clerk-issued license before anyone opens a sexually oriented business, and the Grand Forks…
Read full rule →Massage Establishments
Licensing requirements for massage businesses under LAMC §103.205 and CAMTC certification, including operator background checks and zoning conditions.
Tattoo & Body Modification
Health Department permits and city licensing for tattoo and piercing studios, including bloodborne-pathogen training and inspection requirements.
Cass County
Significant RestrictionsCass County requires a health department permit to run a tattoo or piercing shop, renewed every December 31, with…
Read full rule →Fargo
Significant RestrictionsFargo requires every tattoo, piercing, and body art shop to hold an annual license from Fargo Cass Public Health before…
Read full rule →Grand Forks
Significant RestrictionsGrand Forks City Code Article 10 of Chapter XIII requires anyone operating a body art establishment, or working as a…
Read full rule →Tobacco Retail License
The local license required to sell tobacco and vape products, the conduct rules attached to it, flavored-product bans, self-service and age limits, and the zoning that applies to smoke shops.
North Dakota: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsNorth Dakota requires vape and tobacco retailers to hold a tobacco dealer's license from the Office of the State Tax…
Read full rule →Fargo
Heavy RestrictionsVape shops in Fargo must follow the state Tobacco 21 law and the Fargo Smoke-Free Ordinance Chapter 23-1011, which bans…
Read full rule →Grand Forks
Significant RestrictionsEvery retail tobacco dealer in Grand Forks, including sellers of vapes and e-cigarettes, needs a city license before…
Read full rule →Secondhand Dealers
LAMC §21.12 + CA Bus & Prof Code requirements for secondhand dealers, including item-reporting to law enforcement and 30-day holding periods.
Fargo
Significant RestrictionsFargo requires anyone buying, trading, or selling secondhand goods for profit to hold a city license, post a $5,000…
Read full rule →Grand Forks
Light RestrictionsGrand Forks City Code has no stand-alone secondhand-dealer license chapter. The only citywide rule naming dealers in…
Read full rule →Pawnbrokers
State and city pawnbroker licensing, item-holding periods, interest-rate caps, and the LAPD-monitored CalGang/CAPSS reporting system.
Fargo
Significant RestrictionsFargo requires anyone operating a pawn shop to hold a city license tied to a fixed business location, backed by a…
Read full rule →Grand Forks
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Grand Forks, running a pawnbroker business requires a city license backed by a $500 bond or equivalent…
Read full rule →Auto Repair on Residential Property
Whether commercial auto repair is permitted on residential property under LAMC §12.17.3, exemptions for occasional personal repair, and complaint enforcement.
Fargo
Heavy RestrictionsFargo's Land Development Code flatly prohibits vehicle and engine repair as a home occupation, even as a small side…
Read full rule →Grand Forks
Significant RestrictionsGrand Forks singles out automotive repair as the one home occupation that cannot expand into a garage or accessory…
Read full rule →Towing Companies
Permits, fee caps, and notification requirements for tow companies operating in the city, including official police-rotation tow contracts.
Fargo
Some RestrictionsAny commercial towing service that tows and stores an abandoned vehicle in Fargo must notify police within 12 hours or…
Read full rule →Grand Forks
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Grand Forks, no tow truck operator may remove a vehicle from private property without the owner's…
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