Carson, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Distance from schools/parks
- 1,000 feet minimum
- Distance from other adult business
- 1,000 feet minimum
- Distance from church/residence
- 500 feet minimum
- Permit required
- Conditional Use Permit
- CUP decision deadline
- 5 months from complete application
Summary
Carson requires adult businesses to hold a Conditional Use Permit and stay at least 1,000 feet from schools, parks, other adult businesses, and the Civic Center, with a 500-foot buffer from churches and residences.
The use shall not be located within a one thousand (1,000) foot radius of any of the following:
a. Another adult business;
b. A public or private element elementary or secondary school;
c. A public park; or
d. The Carson Civic Center, as such term is defined in CMC § 9191.072.
3. The use shall not be located on any lot or parcel of land that has a front yard on the same or opposite side of the street as a lot or parcel of land that (1) is within the distance specified in the left column below, (2) is zoned or used for the purposes specified in the right column below, and (3) has a front yard abutting the same street:
Distance Use 1,000 feet A licensed day care center located in a commercial zone 500 feet A church, temple or other place of religious worship 500 feet A residence
4. For purposes of this Section, measurements shall be made in a straight line, without regard to intervening structure or objects, from the nearest property line of the property where an adult business is to be conducted to the nearest property line of the premises of any facility, use or business referenced above in subsections (A)(2) and (A)(3) of this Section.
5.
Full Breakdown
Carson restricts adult businesses under CMC § 9138.9. They may not locate within a redevelopment project area zoned Commercial General, or within a Mixed-Use Residential overlay district, and must stay at least 1,000 feet from another adult business, a school, a public park, or the Carson Civic Center, and 500 feet from a church or a residence sharing the same street frontage. Adult businesses also face display, screening, and signage restrictions -- no visible depictions of nudity or specified sexual activities, and no exterior amplified sound. Every adult business needs a Conditional Use Permit, which the Planning Commission must hear within four months and decide within five months of a complete application.
Violations & Fines
Operating without an approved Conditional Use Permit or violating the location or development standards is a misdemeanor under CMC § 1200 (up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, each day a separate offense) and grounds for CUP revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must an adult business be from a school in Carson?
Can an adult business locate near Carson's Civic Center?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carson
California rules heatmap·Compare Carson to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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