Carver County, MN Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License plus permit required
- Adult use license + conditional use permit
- Allowed zoning
- Rural service districts only
- Minimum spacing
- 1,000 lineal feet from sensitive uses
- Cannot co-locate with
- Another adult use; principal business
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor, per-day offense
Summary
Adult uses in unincorporated Carver County need both a county adult use license and a conditional use permit under Code of Ordinances § 113.25, and § 113.29 confines them to rural service districts and at least 1,000 feet from homes, schools, daycares, churches, parks, and other adult use businesses.
§ 113.29 PERMITTED LOCATIONS FOR ADULT USE; PRINCIPAL. (A) Adult use; principal shall only be allowed in the rural service districts as defined in Chapter 152. (B) Adult use; principal shall be located at least 1,000 lineal feet as measured in a straight line from the nearest point of the business premises and associated parking lot of the adult use; principal to the nearest structure associated with: (1) Any single or multiple family residence or farmstead...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-20: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 111-2025, passed 7-25-25).
Full Breakdown
04). 25 bars anyone from owning or operating an 'adult use; principal' without first securing both the adult use license and a conditional use permit under Chapter 152, the zoning code. The license application, filed with Land Management, must disclose owners holding more than 5% of corporate stock, the operator and manager, a legal description of the site, proof of ownership or a purchase agreement, any specified criminal activity convictions, hours of operation, and how the business will restrict access by minors. 29 restricts adult use; principal businesses to the rural service districts defined in Chapter 152 and requires 1,000 lineal feet, measured in a straight line from the nearest point of the business and its parking lot, from the nearest single or multi-family residence or farmstead, licensed daycare, elementary through senior high school, hotel or motel, public park or trail, nursing home, church, another adult use business, and any establishment holding a liquor license.
No adult use; principal may share a building or property with another adult use; principal. 02 grounds this spacing regime in studies from the Minnesota Attorney General and cities like St. Paul, Indianapolis, and Seattle finding adverse secondary effects such as increased crime, decreased property values, and neighborhood blight.
Violations & Fines
Violating any Chapter 113 requirement, including operating without the license and conditional use permit or outside the permitted rural service district and spacing rules, is a misdemeanor under § 113.99, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. The county may also seek injunctive relief and recover its enforcement fees and costs, certifying unpaid amounts as a special tax against the property. Section 113.32 allows suspension or revocation of the license, with hearing and appeal rights under § 113.33.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can an adult use business locate in Carver County?
Do I need more than a license to run an adult use business?
Can two adult use businesses share a building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carver County
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