Washington County, UT Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed zone
- I-1 zone only
- Sensitive-use buffer
- 1,500 feet from schools, churches, parks
- Business-to-business buffer
- 1,250 feet
- License decision deadline
- 30 days from proper filing
- Criminal penalty
- Class B misdemeanor per violation/day
Summary
Washington County confines sexually oriented businesses to I-1 zoned land and requires a county license for each one. Every such business must sit at least 1,500 feet from churches, schools, parks, and residential zones, and 1,250 feet from any other adult business.
The establishment of a sexually oriented business shall be permitted only in an I-1 zone, as described in the zoning ordinance... It is unlawful for a person to operate or cause to be operated a sexually oriented business within one thousand five hundred feet (1,500') of: 1. Any church, synagogue, or any established religious institution; 2. Any public or private elementary or secondary school...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 3-4-16 permits the establishment of a sexually oriented business only in an I-1 zone as described in the zoning ordinance, and requires a license governed by the chapter's procedures. Subsection B bars operating within 1,500 feet of a church, synagogue, or established religious institution; a public or private elementary or secondary school; a boys' or girls' club or similar youth organization; a preschool or daycare; a public park, amusement park, arcade, or recreation center; a public building; a family-oriented entertainment business; any state-licensed alcohol premises; the boundary of any residential district; or a residentially used lot line.
Subsection C separately bars locating within 1,250 feet of another sexually oriented business, a category that expressly includes adult arcades, bookstores, novelty and video stores, cabarets, motels, motion picture theaters, massage parlors, escort agencies, seminude model studios, and sexual encounter centers. Measurements run in a straight line from the nearest wall of the business to the nearest property line of the protected use, ignoring intervening structures and even city or county boundaries. Subsection F prohibits stacking more than one sexually oriented business in the same building.
Under section 3-4-8, the county clerk/auditor must grant or deny a license application within 30 days of proper filing, and if the deadline passes without action the applicant may begin operating until formally denied.
Violations & Fines
Section 3-4-24 makes it unlawful to operate a sexually oriented business without a valid license, or with one that is suspended, revoked, or expired, and exposes the operator to both an injunction and criminal prosecution. Section 3-4-25 sets the criminal penalty at a class B misdemeanor for any person, corporation, association, or partnership that violates the chapter's criminal provisions, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense, on top of whatever other county or state criminal penalties apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a sexually oriented business legally operate in the county?
How close can two adult businesses be to each other?
What happens if the county doesn't act on a license application within 30 days?
What is the penalty for operating without a valid license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
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