Bernalillo County, NM Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License
- Annual county license required to operate
- Spacing from other adult uses
- 2,000 feet minimum
- Spacing from homes/churches/schools
- 2,000 feet minimum
- Enforcement
- County manager issues, suspends, revokes license
- Scope
- Unincorporated county only, not Albuquerque
Summary
Bernalillo County requires an annual county license to operate a sexually oriented business, and its zoning code keeps adult amusement establishments at least 2,000 feet from each other, homes, churches, and schools in unincorporated areas.
Adult amusement establishment, including but not limited to, adult bookstore, adult photo amusement establishment, adult photo studio, adult theater, adult video arcade, and adult body oil or lotion demonstration parlors; shall be: a. Located at least 2,000 feet from another adult amusement establishment, adult bookstore, adult photo amusement establishment, adult photo studio, adult theater, adult video arcade, and adult body oil or lotion demonstration parlors; b. Located at least 2,000 feet from the nearest conforming residential use, or from any church or school;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 92).
Full Breakdown
Operating a sexually oriented business in unincorporated Bernalillo County without a county license is itself an offense under Sec. 14-401 et seq.; the county manager reviews applications and can deny, suspend, or revoke a license for disqualifying criminal convictions or zoning violations. Separately, the county's 1973 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance requires every adult amusement establishment, adult bookstore, adult theater, or similar use to sit at least 2,000 feet from another such use and at least 2,000 feet from the nearest residential use, church, or school. Albuquerque, which has its own Integrated Development Ordinance, is not covered by either rule.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license is an offense under Sec. 14-418, enforceable under the general penalty in Sec. 1-6; the county manager can also suspend or revoke a license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside Albuquerque?
How far must an adult business be from a school or church?
What happens if I operate without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bernalillo County
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