Burien, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Cabaret license fee
- $500.00 per year
- Manager and entertainer fees
- $100.00 per year each
- License decision deadline
- 30 days for cabaret, 14 days for manager and entertainer
- Closed hours
- 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
- Criminal penalty
- Up to 90 days in jail and $1,000 fine
- Denial appeal
- To hearing examiner within 14 calendar days
Summary
In the City of Burien, Washington, Chapter 5.65 BMC makes it unlawful to run an adult cabaret, or to work in one as a manager or entertainer, without a city license. Fees are $500.00 per year for the cabaret and $100.00 per year each for manager and entertainer licenses, and a Chapter 5.05 business license can also be required.
(1) It is unlawful for any person to conduct, manage or operate an adult cabaret unless such person is the holder of a valid and subsisting license from the city to do so, obtained in the manner provided in this chapter. ... (3) It is unlawful for any entertainer to perform in an adult cabaret unless such person is the holder of a valid and subsisting license from the city to do so. (4) It is unlawful for any manager to work in an adult cabaret unless such person is the holder of a valid and subsisting license from the city to do so. (5) All licenses or permits required under this chapter are separate from and in addition to the business license issued under Chapter 5.05 BMC, which may also be required when applicable. ... (1) Any person desiring to obtain an adult cabaret license shall first pay a license fee of $500.00 per year. (2) Any person desiring to obtain an adult cabaret manager’s license shall first pay a license fee of $100.00 per year. (3) Any person desiring to obtain an adult cabaret entertainer’s license shall first pay a license fee of $100.00 per year.
Full Breakdown
BMC 5.65.040 requires three separate licenses. The operator needs an adult cabaret license, every manager needs a manager's license, and every entertainer needs an entertainer's license. Employees who knowingly work in or about an unlicensed adult cabaret commit their own violation. All of these licenses are separate from and in addition to the business license under Chapter 5.05 BMC.
Fees under BMC 5.65.070 are $500.00 per year for the adult cabaret license and $100.00 per year each for the manager and entertainer licenses. Licenses expire on December 31 each year, and a late renewal adds a $100.00 charge (BMC 5.65.100). The clerk issues a cabaret license within 30 days of a complete application and fee, after the police, fire and community development departments each inspect the application and premises within 30 days and report that they comply (BMC 5.65.060(1)(h) and (i)). Manager and entertainer licenses issue within 14 days, with a temporary license in the meantime and a nonrefundable $100.00 application fee (BMC 5.65.060(2)). No license goes to anyone under 21, except at 18 where no intoxicating liquor is served (BMC 5.65.050).
Operating standards follow the license. Entertainers can appear unclothed only on a stage at least 24 inches above floor level and at least 10 feet from the nearest member of the public, and the cabaret cannot operate or be open to the public between 2:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. (BMC 5.65.090). Admission is restricted to persons 18 or older. Spacing is not set in Chapter 5.65: the chapter prints no distance figure, and its finding in BMC 5.65.020(5) speaks only of conducting such uses a reasonable distance from places where minors gather. Chapter 5.70 BMC separately licenses panoram premises.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 5.65 is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine of not more than $1,000, or both (BMC 5.65.130). License discipline is stepped: a 30-day suspension for a first violation, 90 days for a second within 24 months, and revocation for a third (BMC 5.65.110(2)). An adult cabaret run in violation is declared a public nuisance the city attorney can sue to abate (BMC 5.65.140).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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