Winnebago County, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Adult use spacing
- 1,000 ft from adult uses, homes, schools, worship
- Massage license fee
- $100 to county clerk
- License expiration
- Every December 1
- Unlicensed operation fine
- Up to $500
- Late renewal penalty
- $20
- Max suspension length
- 30 days
Summary
Winnebago County bars any adult use, including adult bookstores, cabarets, adult motels and massage parlors, from locating within 1,000 feet of another adult use, a residential district, a school, a day care center or a place of worship under UDO § 15.3.2. Massage establishments separately need an annual $100 county clerk license under Code § 22-41, with unlicensed operation punishable by up to a $500 fine under § 22-31.
A.No adult use shall be located within one thousand (1,000) feet of any other adult use or any residential district, primary or secondary educational facility, day care center, or place of worship.B.The adult use shall be so designed, located and operated so that the public health, safety, and welfare will be protected.C.The adult use shall not cause substantial injury to the value of other property in the neighborhood in which it is located.D.The adult use shall not unduly increase traffic congestion in the public streets and highways in the area in which it is located.E.The adult use shall not cause additional public expense for fire or police protection.F.No adult use shall be conducted in any manner that publicly displays any material depicting, describing or relating to "Specified Sexual Activities" or "Specified Anatomical Areas." This provision applies to any display, decoration, sign, show window or other opening.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
2 requires every adult use to sit 1,000 feet from any other adult use, residential district, primary or secondary school, day care center or place of worship, and bans public display of "Specified Sexual Activities" or "Specified Anatomical Areas" in windows, signs or decorations. " Separately, the county's Massage Parlor Ordinance (Code §§ 22-26 to 22-45) licenses every massage establishment: an operator files a sworn written application with the county clerk, pays a $100 fee, and submits fingerprints and photographs of the applicant and every masseur/masseuse.
The county clerk notifies the zoning, building and health departments within five days, those departments inspect within 30 days, and the county liquor commission holds a hearing within 60 days on ten days' written notice. A license is refused to anyone convicted within five years of a felony, prostitution-related offense, or pandering, and is denied to applicants under 18. Licenses expire every December 1; renewing late brings a $20 penalty, and lapsing more than 30 days past expiration forces the business to suspend operations. Hospitals, licensed healing-arts practitioners, barbers and cosmetologists are exempt.
Violations & Fines
Operating a massage establishment without a license, or violating any provision of the Massage Parlor Ordinance, is punishable by a fine of up to $500 under § 22-31. The liquor commission may suspend a license for up to 30 days, or revoke it outright, for offenses like sexual touching of a customer, advertising prohibited conduct, or submitting false application information (§§ 22-43, 22-44). A licensee gets ten days' written notice of any suspension/revocation hearing and may appear with an attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must an adult business be from a school or home in Winnebago County?
Does a massage parlor need a county license?
What happens if a massage business operates without a license in Winnebago County?
Can the county take away a massage license once issued?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Winnebago County
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