Arlington licenses sexually oriented businesses under Chapter 4 of the City Code with strict 1,000-foot buffers from churches, schools, parks, and residential zones. Operators and employees must obtain individual permits and pass background checks.
Arlington Code Chapter 4, Article II regulates sexually oriented businesses including adult bookstores, adult theaters, cabarets, and modeling studios. Each business must obtain a city license, and individual employees must hold operator permits. Locations must sit at least 1,000 feet from any church, school, public park, daycare, or residential district, measured property line to property line. Hours are restricted; no alcohol service is permitted on premises in conjunction with nude entertainment, consistent with Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code limits. Background checks disqualify applicants with recent prostitution, obscenity, or sex-offense convictions. Inspectors from APD and code compliance audit annually.
Operating without a license is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to $4,000 fine and one year in jail per day. The city may revoke licenses, padlock locations, and pursue civil injunctions. Buffer-zone violations trigger immediate cease-and-desist orders.
See how other cities in Tarrant County handle adult entertainment.
See how Arlington's adult entertainment rules stack up against other locations.
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