Aiken County, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Spacing
- 1,500 ft from homes, churches, schools, parks
- Zoning
- UD district only, arterial/collector access
- Permit review
- 30 days by planning and development director
- Permit term
- 1 year; operating without one is a misdemeanor
- Revocation bar
- 1 year, or 90 days if cause is corrected
Summary
Aiken County requires anyone operating a sexually oriented business, adult bookstore, cabaret, motel, arcade or escort agency to hold a county permit before opening, and operating without one is a misdemeanor. The planning and development director reviews applications within 30 days, and the use is confined to the UD zoning district with a 1,500-foot buffer from homes, churches, schools and parks.
(a)A person commits a misdemeanor if he operates a sexually oriented business without a valid permit issued by the county for the particular type of business... (b)No such use shall be located within one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet (measured in a straight line) of the nearest property line of:(1)A residential use;(2)A church or religious institution;(3)Public or private schools or educational facilities;(4)Public parks and recreational facilities; or(5)Any other sexually oriented businesses.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 119).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 2 classifies sexually oriented businesses into nine types, including adult arcades, bookstores, cabarets, motels, theaters, escort agencies and nude model studios. Sec. 3 requires a county permit for the specific business type, backed by a scaled diagram of the premises and signatures from every owner holding a 10-percent or greater interest. Sec. 4 gives the planning and development director 30 days to approve or deny, with denial grounds covering applicant age, unpaid county fees, false statements, cohabitation with a recently denied or revoked operator, or failed health, fire, or building inspections.
Sec. 6 lets sheriff's, health, fire, and planning staff inspect the premises any time it is open, and refusing that inspection is itself a misdemeanor. Sec. 7 sets a one-year permit term, renewable by reapplying between 60 and 30 days before expiration. Location is the tightest control: Sec. 11 restricts these uses to the UD district and bars any site within 1,500 feet, measured in a straight line, of a residential use, church, school, park, or another sexually oriented business, and requires direct access off a collector or arterial street only.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a valid permit, or refusing a lawful health, fire, sheriff's, or planning department inspection, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 24-3.10.3 and Sec. 24-3.10.6. The planning and development director can suspend a permit up to 30 days for a code violation, excessive on-site alcohol use, refused inspection, or permitted gambling, and must revoke it for false application statements, drug or prostitution activity, operating while suspended, certain sexual conduct on the premises, or delinquent county taxes. A revocation bars reapplication for one year, or 90 days if the underlying problem is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a sexually oriented business locate in Aiken County?
What happens if I operate without a permit?
Can the county revoke my permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aiken County
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