Arlington Heights, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Adult Business License, Section 14-2302
- Spacing buffer
- 200 ft from homes, schools, churches, parks
- Spacing from others
- 200 ft from another adult business
- Hours
- Noon to midnight only
- Closed days
- All Sundays and legal holidays
- Massage barred
- No massage services on premises
- Penalty
- Up to $750 per violation
Summary
Arlington Heights, Illinois requires a Village adult business license before any adult bookstore, adult theater, or adult live entertainment establishment can open, and keeps every one from sitting within 200 feet of a residential zoning district, school, church, park, or another adult business. Hours run noon to midnight only, with Sundays and holidays closed entirely under Chapter 14, Article XXIII.
No adult business shall be located within 200 feet of: 1.A residential zoning district;2.A church, synagogue, mosque, temple or building which is used primarily for religious worship and related religious activities;3.A public or private educational facility including, but not limited to, child day care facilities, nursery schools, preschools, kindergartens, elementary schools... 5.An entertainment business which is oriented primarily towards children or family entertainment; or b.No adult business shall be located within 200 feet of another adult business.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 14-2302 requires an adult business license to establish, operate, or maintain any adult bookstore, adult theater, or adult live entertainment establishment in the Village. The Director of Building issues the license only after confirming the application is accurate, every listed principal is at least 18, no listed person has a Specified Criminal Act conviction within the preceding five years, and the business has all required zoning approvals (Section 14-2303). Section 14-2305 sets a 200-foot buffer: no adult business may locate within 200 feet of a residential zoning district, a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple, a public or private school (including day care facilities and preschools), a Village or Park District park or recreation area, a family-entertainment business, or another adult business.
Section 14-2304 layers on operating rules: businesses may open only between noon and midnight and must stay closed all day every Sunday and on any state or federal holiday; alcohol, gambling devices, and animals other than service animals are barred on the premises; restrooms cannot host adult materials or performances; exterior displays, flashing lights, and audible-off-premises sound equipment are prohibited; and a licensee must staff a manager's station with a direct sightline into every public area. Massage services are separately barred at any adult business under Section 14-2304(l).
Adult live entertainment establishments face additional stage-distance, lighting, and no-tipping-during-performance rules under Section 14-2307, while adult theaters and adult stores carry their own seating, signage, and under-18 exclusion rules under Sections 14-2308 and 14-2309. A licensee is responsible for any employee's violation committed with the licensee's knowledge or through negligent supervision (Section 14-2310).
Violations & Fines
An adult business that violates any licensing standard, location buffer, or operating rule faces a fine of not more than $750.00 per violation under Section 14-2312, and the Village can also declare the operation a public nuisance under Section 14-2313 and go to court to enjoin or abate it. A felony or Specified Criminal Act committed on the premises is separate grounds to deny or revoke the license under Section 14-2311.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington Heights
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