Abilene, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- From homes, church, park, hospital
- 600 feet
- From any school
- 2,000 feet
- From another adult business
- 1,000 feet
- 1st Street corridor
- No siting on/between N & S 1st St
- Governing provision
- LDC Section 2.4.3.4
Summary
An adult entertainment enterprise in Abilene must sit at least 600 feet from any home, church, park, hospital, or the College-University district, 1,000 feet from another such business, and 2,000 feet from any school, and cannot locate on or between North and South 1st Streets.
(a) All structures housing adult entertainment enterprises (as defined in Chapter 5 of this LDC) shall be located as follows: (1) At least six hundred feet (600') from the property boundary line of any lot in a College-University zoning district; (2) At least six hundred feet (600') from the property boundary line of any residentially zoned lot or any lot used for church, park, or hospital purposes; ... (4) At least one thousand feet (1,000') of another structure housing an adult entertainment enterprise; and (5) At least two thousand feet (2,000') from any lot used for school purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 14).
Full Breakdown
Abilene's Land Development Code Section 2.4.3.4 fixes where an adult entertainment enterprise may open. Every structure must stand at least 600 feet from any residentially zoned lot or any lot used for a church, park, or hospital, and 600 feet from the College-University district; at least 1,000 feet from another adult entertainment enterprise; and at least 2,000 feet from any lot used for a school. It cannot sit on or between North 1st and South 1st Streets. The Land Use Matrix (Section 2.4.2.1) allows the use by right in the city's commercial and industrial districts and by conditional use permit elsewhere. Distances run in a straight line to the nearest property line, measured from the building's furthest projection. Planning Services enforces it.
Violations & Fines
A structure sited inside any required separation, or on or between North 1st and South 1st Streets, is a prohibited use; Planning Services can deny the certificate of occupancy and pursue municipal-court zoning enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must an Abilene adult business be from a school?
Can an adult business open along 1st Street downtown?
Are adult entertainment enterprises allowed in Abilene at all?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Abilene
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Abilene to another location·View the Texas business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.