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

Land Use Regulations § 4.3.9.1 is the location rule for adult entertainment uses in the City of Bradenton, Manatee County. The use is allowed only by special use permit, and only in two districts: the Urban Commercial Corridor (UCC) and the Suburban Commercial Corridor (SCC). No adult entertainment use or establishment can be located within 500 feet of any residentially zoned district or residence in the city, or within 500 feet of any place of worship, school (private or public), day care or day care center, or any public recreational facility or park. A separate 1,000 foot spacing applies between one adult entertainment use and any other.

Distances are measured from the property line of the site of the proposed use, or from the proposed establishment, to the property line of the other referenced use along the shortest distance between the property lines, without regard to the route of normal travel. That is a straight-line test, so a street or river between the two does not add distance.

Section 4.3.9.2 adds criteria on top of the general special use permit criteria in section 3.3. The proposed use cannot be contrary to the public interest or injurious to nearby properties or property values, cannot enlarge, encourage or establish the development of a skid row or blighted area or cause neighborhood deterioration, and cannot be contrary to any program of neighborhood conservation or revitalization or interfere with any program of urban renewal.

Existing businesses are handled by § 4.3.9.2(d): an adult entertainment use or establishment that was established and existing at the same location as of April 19, 1993 is a non-conforming use and can continue to operate subject to the Land Use Regulations. The introduction to § 4.3.9 also states that nothing in it repeals or supersedes section 6-6 of the Code of Ordinances relating to nudity and sexual conduct in alcoholic beverage establishments. Definitions of the terms used are in Chapter 10.0.