Auburn, AL Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Article XI of the Auburn code defines seven categories of 'adult entertainment facility': adult book and video stores, adult entertainment businesses, adult mini and full motion picture theaters, adult paraphernalia stores, escort agencies, and massage establishments (§ 12-250). Section 12-251 sets the spacing rules: no such facility may locate within 500 feet of any residentially zoned area, within 1,000 feet of a school, library, or teaching facility serving anyone under 18, within 1,000 feet of another adult entertainment facility, within 1,000 feet of a church or place of worship serving minors, or within 2,000 feet of any two of a listed group that includes topless cabarets, on-premises alcohol sellers, day cares, pool halls, arcades, and dance halls.

Windows, doors, and advertising must be screened so nothing is visible from any public sidewalk or street, and alcohol sale or consumption is banned on the premises entirely. 1 makes it unlawful to operate without a city adult entertainment business license, or to employ or work as an employee without a separate employee license. Applicants file a notarized application with the finance department listing prior business names, a Social Security number or fingerprints, proof of age, and any adult-business licenses held elsewhere, along with a scaled floor plan.

2, the finance department must deny a license to an applicant under 19, one delinquent on city taxes or fines, one convicted of a specified criminal activity, or one proposing a location outside a zoning district where the use is allowed. Off-street parking must meet the City of Auburn Zoning Code.