Weld County, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum age
- 21, for patrons and staff
- Nude entertainment hours
- 7 a.m. to midnight, Mon-Sat
- School/church setback
- 500 feet, property line to line
- Residential setback
- 500 feet, property line to line
- Penalty
- $300 fine per separate violation
Summary
Weld County's Article IX code bans nude entertainment for anyone under 21 and restricts it to 7 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Saturday. Adult businesses must sit at least 500 feet from any school, church, or residentially zoned property, per Weld County Code §§ 23-9-50, 23-9-60.
Sec. 23-9-50. - Distance from schools and churches. No ADULT BUSINESS, SERVICE OR ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENT shall be operated or maintained within five hundred (500) feet of any SCHOOL or church property, measured from the closest property line of such school or church property to the property line of the ADULT BUSINESS, SERVICE OR ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENT.
Sec. 23-9-60. - Distance from residential property. No ADULT BUSINESS, SERVICE OR ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENT shall be operated or maintained within five hundred (500) feet of any residentially zoned or USED property, measured from the closest property line of the residentially USED or zoned property to the property line of the ADULT BUSINESS, SERVICE OR ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENT.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Charter and County Code: Supplement 95).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 23, Article IX regulates Adult Business, Service or Entertainment Establishments in unincorporated Weld County. Section 23-9-10 bars anyone under 21 from being admitted, and bars any employee, agent, servant, or independent contractor under 21 from working on the premises while nude entertainment is presented. through 12:00 midnight, Monday through Saturday, so there is no nude entertainment on Sundays or overnight any day. Section 23-9-30 requires case-by-case buffering, through facade treatment, landscaping, and fencing, to minimize impacts on nearby commercial and residential uses, parks, churches, and accredited schools.
Section 23-9-40 bans revolving beacons or flashing red, green, or amber signage within 500 feet of an intersection and requires all outdoor lighting to be shielded against nearby uses. Sections 23-9-50 and 23-9-60 impose flat 500-foot separations from any school or church property and from any residentially zoned or used property, both measured property line to property line. Section 23-9-80 carves out an exemption for plays, ballet, motion pictures, and similar performances at theaters, concert halls, museums, schools, or colleges when presented as a form of expression rather than to promote nudity for a business's economic benefit.
Violations & Fines
Section 23-9-70 makes repeated or continuing violations a public nuisance, defining "repeated" as three or more violations within a one-year period and "continuing" as a violation lasting three or more consecutive days. Section 23-10-20(E) makes any violation of Article IX a Class 2 petty offense punishable by a $300 fine for each separate violation, following the penalty assessment procedure in C.R.S. § 16-2-201. The County Attorney or District Attorney can also sue in District Court for an injunction against repeat or continuing violations under § 23-10-30(B).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can nude entertainment run on Sundays in Weld County?
How is the 500-foot setback measured?
Are movie theaters or college performances covered by these rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Weld County
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