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

Section 12-65 restricts sexually oriented businesses to two zoning districts, Industrial (I-1) and Thoroughfare Commercial (C-3), then adds three separate buffers. No such business may sit within 1,000 feet of another sexually oriented business. None may locate within 300 feet of the Single-Family Residential (R-1A, R-1B), Multi-Family Residential (R-3), Residential Development (RD), Residential Estate (RE), Residential Receiving (RX), or Places of Worship (W) zoning districts. And none may sit within 300 feet of preexisting duplex, multi-family, or single-family dwellings, schools, child care facilities, religious facilities, parks, or any establishment that sells or allows on-premises alcohol consumption, including bottle clubs, nightclubs, package stores, bars, or lounges.

Distances are measured property line to property line, or building to building in a shared multi-use structure. Beyond zoning, § 12-67 requires a separate $300 sexually oriented business permit from the city before a business can open, with a 90-day grace period for businesses already operating when the article took effect. The Police Department runs a criminal-history check on owners, managers, and anyone holding more than a 5% financial interest, covering offenses like sexual battery, prostitution, lewdness, and indecent behavior going back five years; a disqualifying conviction blocks a permit for two to five years depending on the offense.

The city must act on a completed application within 30 days or the business may open by default. Permits can be suspended or revoked for violations, are not transferable to a new owner without a 10% transfer fee and city approval, and can never be transferred to a new location. A business that predates the 1998 ordinance but doesn't meet the spacing rules gets 12 months to conform or close.