Bonita Springs, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Article V of Chapter 12, the Sexually Oriented Businesses Regulation Ordinance, sorts the trade into nine classes under section 12-135: arcades, bookstores, video and novelty stores, cabarets, motion picture theaters, theaters, lingerie modeling businesses, physical culture establishments, nude model studios and sexual encounter centers. A store counts as a bookstore-type business when one principal purpose is the listed material, and section 12-134 sets 25 percent thresholds for revenue, stock, floor area or advertising.

Section 12-136 puts the permit in the city manager's hands. The manager coordinates with the community development director on zoning, and the Lee County Sheriff's Office supplies FCIC/NCIC conviction checks. The application is sworn, needs proof the applicant is 21 years of age, discloses convictions from the preceding five years, and includes a floor plan drawn to an accuracy of plus or minus six inches. Each person with a ten percent or greater interest signs. The nonrefundable fee is on file in the city clerk's office.

Under section 12-137, agencies finish their investigation within 20 days for individuals and 30 days for partnerships and corporations. Section 12-138 gives the city manager 30 days from proper filing to grant or deny; after the 30th day the applicant can begin operating unless a denial with reasons has been issued. Denial grounds include an applicant under 21, unpaid city taxes or fines, a location that does not comply with the Land Development Code, and a specified criminal act conviction less than two years back for a misdemeanor or less than five years back for a felony. A denied applicant who reapplies for the same location within nine months, with no change in circumstances, is denied.

Permits expire one year after issuance (section 12-141), with renewal applications due at least 30 days before expiration. Section 12-150 bars operating or performing between 2:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Section 12-149 prohibits admitting anyone under 18, and section 12-153 bars employees from voluntarily being within three feet of a patron while displaying specified anatomical areas. Spacing distances are not in this volume; the Land Development Code holds the location rules.