Alachua County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted districts
- BH, BA, BA-1 only (limited use)
- Spacing from another SOB
- 1,000 feet
- Spacing, cabaret/theater
- 750 feet from homes/schools/church/park/library
- Spacing, sex shop/media store
- 500 feet
- Cabaret stage minimum
- 600 sq ft, raised 18 inches
- Applies to businesses
- established/expanded after Feb. 1, 2004
Summary
Alachua County confines sexually oriented businesses, cabarets, theaters, sex shops, and media stores, to the BH, BA, and BA-1 zoning districts as a limited use. Sec. 404.67 imposes strict buffers: 1,000 feet from any other sexually oriented business, and 500 to 750 feet from residential land, schools, churches, parks, and libraries, on top of interior design and lighting rules.
Sexually oriented businesses are allowed as limited uses in the BH, BA, and BA-1 districts, including but not limited to a sexually oriented media store, subject to the following standards. Sex shops and sexually oriented theatres or cabarets are allowed in the BA or BA-1 districts, subject to the following standards. (a) Separation requirements for sexually oriented businesses. (1) Generally. Sexually oriented businesses shall be permitted only in the zoning districts in which a specific sexually oriented business is listed as a permitted use in this Chapter. Any sexually oriented business established or expanded after February 1, 2004, in such a district shall be separated from other specified uses by the distances specified in Table 404.67.1. ... (2) Measurement. Measurements shall be made from the nearest property line of the use which is not a sexually oriented business to the nearest property line of the sexually oriented business.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 67, a sexually oriented business, including a sexually oriented media store, is a limited use only in the BH, BA, and BA-1 districts; sex shops and sexually oriented theatres or cabarets are confined to BA or BA-1. 1's separation table: 1,000 feet from any other sexually oriented business, and 750 feet (cabaret/theater) or 500 feet (sex shop/media store) from residentially zoned land, a place of worship, a school, a public park, a Boys and Girls Club, a YMCA/YWCA, or a public library. Distance is measured property line to property line, or leasehold line to property line in a multi-tenant building.
The school and place-of-worship buffers apply only if the use is public, has operated at the same location for a year or more, or owns its location. Cabarets must provide a stage of at least 600 square feet, raised at least 18 inches with a rail or barrier at least 30 inches high, unobstructed sightlines from any performance booth, and a minimum of 5 footcandles of lighting in customer areas. Theaters need a 600-square-foot presentation room, 2 footcandles of lighting, and individual theater-style seating with solid arms, no couches, benches, mattresses, or loose cushions.
Violations & Fines
A sexually oriented business operating outside the permitted districts, inside a required buffer, or without the required stage, lighting, or seating standards is a Code Enforcement Board matter under Chapter 24. Alachua County Code § 10.08 sets the default penalty at up to $500.00 per offense, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense; the county may also pursue abatement, injunctive relief, or license/permit revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a sexually oriented business open anywhere in unincorporated Alachua County?
How far must a sex shop be from a school in Alachua County?
Does the spacing rule apply to businesses that existed before 2004?
What design standards apply inside a sexually oriented cabaret?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alachua County
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