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Business Licensing & Operations in Utah (2026)

107 rules on the books across Utah, 20 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.

South Jordan

Heavy Restrictions

South Jordan requires a sexually oriented business license to operate and bars these businesses from locating within…

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Taylorsville

Heavy Restrictions

In Taylorsville City, sexually oriented businesses and their employees each need a separate license, may operate only…

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Utah County

Heavy Restrictions

Sexually oriented businesses in unincorporated Utah County need a county license, can't operate within 500 feet of…

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Washington County

Heavy Restrictions

Washington County confines sexually oriented businesses to I-1 zoned land and requires a county license for each one…

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West Valley City

Heavy Restrictions

West Valley City confines sexually oriented businesses (adult bookstores, adult theaters, seminude entertainment…

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Davis County

Significant Restrictions

Davis County requires a separate sexually oriented business license under Chapter 5.04 Article J before operating an…

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Eagle Mountain

Significant Restrictions

Eagle Mountain requires a separate sexually oriented business license under EMMC 5.20.040, on top of any zoning…

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Layton

Significant Restrictions

Layton requires a separate city license before anyone may operate a sexually oriented business, and a separate employee…

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Lehi

Significant Restrictions

Lehi confines sexually oriented businesses to zones set by Development Code section 12.190 and requires a separate…

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Logan

Significant Restrictions

Logan City requires both a general business license and a sexually oriented business license before anyone runs an…

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Ogden

Significant Restrictions

Ogden's Sexually Oriented Business and Employee Licensing Ordinance, City Code Chapter 5-15, bars adult live…

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Orem

Significant Restrictions

Orem confines adult businesses, seminude entertainment businesses, and seminude dancing bars to zones set out in…

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Provo

Significant Restrictions

Provo confines every sexually-oriented business to its SOB Overlay Zone and bars it from operating within 1,000 feet of…

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Salt Lake City

Significant Restrictions

Sexually oriented businesses need a city business license and must clear a 1,000-foot buffer from schools, parks…

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Salt Lake County

Significant Restrictions

Any sexually oriented business in unincorporated Salt Lake County, adult businesses, nude entertainment venues, outcall…

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Sandy

Significant Restrictions

Sandy City requires a sexually oriented business license before any adult bookstore, adult cabaret, adult motel, adult…

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St. George

Significant Restrictions

St. George confines sexually oriented businesses to the M-1 manufacturing zone and requires a city permit, with a…

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Weber County

Significant Restrictions

Weber County requires a separate sexually oriented business license, plus an individual employee license, before anyone…

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West Jordan

Significant Restrictions

West Jordan confines sexually oriented businesses to M-2 zoning and requires 600 feet of separation from each other and…

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Massage Establishments

Licensing requirements for massage businesses under LAMC §103.205 and CAMTC certification, including operator background checks and zoning conditions.

Ogden

Significant Restrictions

Ogden City requires every massage establishment to hold a massage business license from the Building Services Division…

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Orem

Significant Restrictions

Orem requires anyone operating a massage establishment to hold a City massage establishment license under Code 12-5-14…

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Salt Lake County

Significant Restrictions

No one can operate, conduct, carry on or maintain a massage establishment in Salt Lake County without first holding a…

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Sandy

Significant Restrictions

Sandy requires a business license before anyone operates a massage establishment or works as a masseur, and every such…

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South Jordan

Significant Restrictions

South Jordan requires every massage business to hold a City license per premises, undergo background checks, and…

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West Jordan

Significant Restrictions

West Jordan requires anyone conducting a massage business to hold both a general business license and a specialty…

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Eagle Mountain

Some Restrictions

Massage therapy businesses in Eagle Mountain must hold a city business license and pass a required internet-based…

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Logan

Some Restrictions

In Logan City, Utah, no business license is granted to a massage parlor unless the city recorder or license…

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St. George

Some Restrictions

St. George requires a city business license to operate a massage establishment, and every technician or apprentice on…

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Taylorsville

Some Restrictions

In Taylorsville City, operating a massage establishment or working as a massage technician requires proof of a current…

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Utah County

Some Restrictions

Utah County requires anyone operating a massage parlor or working as a masseur in the unincorporated county to hold a…

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Washington County

Some Restrictions

A massage establishment operating in unincorporated Washington County is a permitted use in all four commercial zones…

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West Valley City

Some Restrictions

West Valley City requires massage establishments to operate under the state Massage Therapy Practice Act, bars alcohol…

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Tattoo & Body Modification

Health Department permits and city licensing for tattoo and piercing studios, including bloodborne-pathogen training and inspection requirements.

Eagle Mountain

Significant Restrictions

Eagle Mountain limits body art and tattoo businesses to a single business-park zone. EMMC 17.37.030's land use table…

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Logan

Significant Restrictions

Logan City will not issue a business license to a tattoo establishment until the city recorder or license administrator…

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Ogden

Significant Restrictions

Ogden City Code section 15-41-7 bars tattoo and piercing businesses outright from both Neighborhood Commercial zones…

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Orem

Significant Restrictions

Orem's zoning code does not allow standalone tattoo parlors. Appendix A's Specified Land Use Table lists SLU 6232…

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Sandy

Significant Restrictions

Sandy's zoning code defines a tattoo parlor as any business that operates tattoo equipment to inject ink or otherwise…

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Taylorsville

Significant Restrictions

Taylorsville's Land Use Table bans tattoo parlors from every commercial, office and mixed-use zone in the city and…

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West Jordan

Significant Restrictions

West Jordan allows tattoo and body engraving establishments as a conditional use in only one commercial zone: SC-3, the…

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St. George

Some Restrictions

St. George's zoning code defines tattoo establishments and locates them, by right, only in Commercial C-2/C-3/C-4…

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Washington County

Some Restrictions

A tattoo establishment operating in unincorporated Washington County must hold a County business license under § 3-1-2…

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South Jordan

Light Restrictions

South Jordan allows tattoo parlors as a personal-service use citywide but expressly bars them, along with massage…

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West Valley City

Light Restrictions

West Valley City's Commercial and Manufacturing Use Table at Municipal Code Section 7-6-301 permits Tattoo…

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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.

Eagle Mountain

Significant Restrictions

Eagle Mountain zoning caps tobacco specialty retailers, including vape and e-cigarette shops, to one per 10,000…

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Layton

Significant Restrictions

Layton requires a Retail Tobacco Specialty Business license before any store selling e-cigarettes, cigars or cigarettes…

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Lehi

Significant Restrictions

Lehi retailers selling tobacco or e-cigarettes to anyone under 21 face escalating civil penalties up to $1,000 plus a…

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Ogden

Significant Restrictions

Ogden City Code § 15-13-35 keeps new retail tobacco specialty businesses, which by definition include vapor and…

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Orem

Significant Restrictions

A retail tobacco specialty business in Orem, a shop built around vape, e-cigarette, or tobacco sales, can't sit within…

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Sandy

Significant Restrictions

Sandy's Land Development Code treats a vape shop as an "alcohol or tobacco specialty store" once it hits set sales or…

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St. George

Significant Restrictions

St. George requires a secondary tobacco sales business license limited to food stores, gas stations, bars, and…

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Taylorsville

Significant Restrictions

Taylorsville bars a tobacco specialty business license within 1,000 feet of a school, church, park, library or other…

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West Jordan

Significant Restrictions

West Jordan requires a retail tobacco specialty business, including vape and e-cigarette retailers meeting the state…

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West Valley City

Significant Restrictions

West Valley City keeps standalone tobacco shops away from schools, parks, and homes. Municipal Code § 7-7-121(2) bars a…

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Salt Lake City

Some Restrictions

Selling cigars or tobacco in Salt Lake City, wholesale or retail, requires a city license before any sale, offer, or…

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Salt Lake County

Some Restrictions

Running a retail tobacco specialty business, including a vape or e-cig shop, in unincorporated Salt Lake County without…

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Secondhand Dealers

LAMC §21.12 + CA Bus & Prof Code requirements for secondhand dealers, including item-reporting to law enforcement and 30-day holding periods.

Salt Lake City

Significant Restrictions

Salt Lake City requires anyone buying, bartering, or selling secondhand goods, junk, or precious metals to hold a city…

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Sandy

Significant Restrictions

Sandy requires a City license, backed by a Sandy Police Department background check, before anyone deals in used or…

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Taylorsville

Significant Restrictions

In Taylorsville City, secondhand dealers, junk dealers, junk collectors, antique dealers, coin dealers, and precious…

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West Valley City

Significant Restrictions

West Valley City requires secondhand and junk dealers to post a $1,000 bond, pass a police background check, and keep…

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Iron County

Some Restrictions

Secondhand merchandise dealers in unincorporated Iron County pay the county's general business license fee and must…

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Layton

Some Restrictions

Layton requires junk dealers and secondhand dealers to hold a $100 City license, keep an ink-recorded purchase ledger…

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Logan

Some Restrictions

Logan Municipal Code section 5.28.020 makes it unlawful to operate as a secondhand dealer, precious metal dealer, junk…

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Ogden

Some Restrictions

Anyone buying and reselling old metal, glass, rags or secondhand goods and clothing in Ogden City must keep records…

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Orem

Some Restrictions

Orem dealers in secondhand, junk, or antique property and precious metal must hold every item for thirty days from the…

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Provo

Some Restrictions

Provo licenses secondhand dealers under the same chapter as pawnbrokers, but a straight resale of used goods with no…

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South Jordan

Some Restrictions

Secondhand merchandise dealers in South Jordan need a city license, must keep their inventory within their principal…

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St. George

Some Restrictions

St. George requires secondhand dealers to obtain a business license, keep detailed transaction records, and hold items…

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Utah County

Some Restrictions

Secondhand, junk, and precious-metal dealers in unincorporated Utah County must log every transaction in a bound ink…

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Weber County

Some Restrictions

Weber County requires anyone principally engaged in buying and selling old metal, glass, rags, rubber, paper, or other…

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West Jordan

Some Restrictions

West Jordan requires a general business license plus a special secondhand/junk license to operate as a secondhand…

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Pawnbrokers

State and city pawnbroker licensing, item-holding periods, interest-rate caps, and the LAPD-monitored CalGang/CAPSS reporting system.

Eagle Mountain

Significant Restrictions

Eagle Mountain restricts pawn shops to one of its three commercial zones. EMMC 17.35.030's land use table lists 'Pawn…

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Iron County

Significant Restrictions

Pawnbrokers in unincorporated Iron County must post a five-thousand-dollar surety bond, be at least twenty-one, a U.S…

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Layton

Significant Restrictions

Layton pawnbrokers must hold a $100 annual license approved by the City Council, post a $1,000 bond, and keep detailed…

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Ogden

Significant Restrictions

Operating a pawnshop in Ogden requires a license and a $1,000 surety bond from the business license coordinator under…

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Salt Lake City

Significant Restrictions

Salt Lake City requires a city license before anyone can operate as a pawnbroker, backed by a $5,000 bond and strict…

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Sandy

Significant Restrictions

Sandy requires every pawnbroker to hold a City license before operating, with a mandatory Sandy Police Department…

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South Jordan

Significant Restrictions

Pawnbrokers in South Jordan must obtain a city business license, pass a police department background check, and post a…

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Taylorsville

Significant Restrictions

In Taylorsville City, every pawnbroker needs a separate police-vetted license per location, must stay open only between…

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West Valley City

Significant Restrictions

West Valley City pawnbrokers must operate in a partitioned, standalone business space and hold pledged items for six…

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Orem

Some Restrictions

Before Orem issues a pawnshop or dealer business license, City Code section 12-5-5 requires the operator to post a…

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Provo

Some Restrictions

Provo requires anyone operating as a pawnbroker to hold a City business license and post a $1,000 surety bond before…

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St. George

Some Restrictions

St. George requires anyone running a pawnbroker, secondhand, or precious-metals/gem dealing business to hold a city…

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Utah County

Some Restrictions

Pawnbrokers in unincorporated Utah County must write up a serially numbered pawn ticket in triplicate for every loan or…

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West Jordan

Some Restrictions

West Jordan pawnbrokers must hold a general business license plus a special pawnshop license and post a $5,000 bond…

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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.

Eagle Mountain

Heavy Restrictions

Eagle Mountain flatly bans automobile-related businesses, including auto repair, body work, and painting, from…

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Iron County

Heavy Restrictions

Iron County Code Section 17.36.280(J) excludes automotive repair, body work, painting, towing operations and vehicle…

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Salt Lake City

Heavy Restrictions

Salt Lake City flatly bans running an auto repair business out of a home. It's listed first among businesses that can…

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Salt Lake County

Heavy Restrictions

You can't run an auto repair, body or towing business out of your Salt Lake County home. County Code §19.85.010.B…

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Sandy

Heavy Restrictions

Sandy City Code § 21-11-5 flatly prohibits auto body repair, motor vehicle repair, and the storage, service, or sale of…

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Utah County

Heavy Restrictions

Unincorporated Utah County will not permit a residential auto repair, body, or paint shop as a home occupation under…

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Weber County

Heavy Restrictions

Weber County flatly prohibits auto, truck, or recreational vehicle repair or sales as a home occupation anywhere in the…

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South Jordan

Significant Restrictions

South Jordan prohibits operating an auto repair or body shop as a home occupation, only allowing residents to store…

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Taylorsville

Significant Restrictions

Taylorsville bars garages and accessory buildings from being used for home occupations, permitting them only to park an…

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West Jordan

Significant Restrictions

West Jordan does not list vehicle or engine repair among its permitted home occupations, and its zoning code defines a…

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Washington County

Some Restrictions

Washington County allows vehicle or engine repair at home only as a major home occupation, capped at three engines or…

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Towing Companies

Permits, fee caps, and notification requirements for tow companies operating in the city, including official police-rotation tow contracts.

Lehi

Significant Restrictions

Lehi City requires anyone who tows vehicles or boots cars for compensation within city limits to hold a Lehi City…

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Logan

Significant Restrictions

Logan Municipal Code § 10.52.285 makes it unlawful to run a commercial towing or parking enforcement operation in Logan…

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Ogden

Significant Restrictions

Ogden City Code Article 5-8D sets strict notice, signage, fee, and licensing standards for towing operators and booting…

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Provo

Significant Restrictions

Any tow truck or parking-enforcement business based in Provo must hold a city business license, post a $1,000 surety…

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Salt Lake City

Significant Restrictions

Salt Lake City licenses wrecker services and bars non-consent tows from private property unless the lot is posted with…

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Taylorsville

Significant Restrictions

Any wrecker service that tows vehicles in Taylorsville, or wants police rotation calls, must register and be permitted…

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West Jordan

Significant Restrictions

West Jordan bars wreckers and tow operators from moving a vehicle off a public street, or off private property, without…

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Eagle Mountain

Some Restrictions

Eagle Mountain authorizes towing to impound any vehicle or trailer parked in violation of its parking article, at the…

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Orem

Some Restrictions

No one can run a commercial towing or parking-enforcement business in Orem without Utah Department of Transportation…

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South Jordan

Some Restrictions

South Jordan requires a city license for tow truck operators, vehicle immobilizers, and tow lots, and limits nonconsent…

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St. George

Some Restrictions

St. George requires a City business license, a $10,000 surety bond, current DOT certification and liability insurance…

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West Valley City

Some Restrictions

West Valley City, Salt Lake County, Utah, requires every tow truck service to hold a business license and meet extra…

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