Anne Arundel County, MD Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Approval needed
- Conditional use permit required
- Minimum spacing
- 1,000 feet from homes, schools, parks
- Window rule
- Blackened, no exterior view in
- Age restriction
- No admittance under age 18
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county; not Annapolis
Summary
Anne Arundel County treats adult bookstores and adult movie theaters as conditional uses that must sit at least 1,000 feet from homes, schools, parks, and each other.
An adult bookstore shall comply with all of the following requirements. (1) The use shall be located at least 1,000 feet from the boundary line of any residential district, dwelling, school, library, park, playground, child care center, religious facility, video lottery facility, or other adult bookstore or adult movie theater.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-93: County Code is current through May, 2026).
Full Breakdown
An adult bookstore or adult movie theater is a conditional use under the county zoning code, meaning it needs Administrative Hearing Officer approval before opening, not just an ordinary building or business license. The use must sit at least 1,000 feet, measured in a straight line, from any residential district, dwelling, school, library, park, playground, child care center, religious facility, video lottery facility, or other adult bookstore or adult movie theater. Windows, doors, and other openings must be blackened so no one outside can see in, and anyone under 18 is barred from the premises entirely. This applies countywide, including unincorporated Glen Burnie, Severna Park, and Pasadena; Annapolis, a separately chartered city, sets its own rule.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult bookstore or theater without the required conditional use approval, or violating the spacing, screening, or under-18 access rules, exposes the operator to county zoning enforcement, civil citations, and potential revocation of the conditional use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an adult bookstore open in Glen Burnie without special approval?
Does the 1,000-foot rule count from other adult businesses too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
Compare Anne Arundel County to another location·View the Maryland business licensing & operations overview
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