Chico, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Business spacing
- 1,000 feet apart
- School/park buffer
- 1,000 feet
- Residential buffer
- 300 feet
- Hours closed
- 2:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m.
Summary
Chico requires adult arcades, bookstores, cabarets, and similar businesses to stay 1,000 feet from schools, parks, and each other, and 300 feet from residential property, with capped operating hours.
It is unlawful to cause or allow the establishment of an adult arcade, adult bookstore, adult cabaret, adult motel, adult motion picture theater, adult theater, massage parlor, or sexual encounter establishment within: a. 1,000 feet of another similar business; b. 1,000 feet of any religious institution, school, or public park; or c. 300 feet of any property designated for residential use or used for residential purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Supplement contains local legislation current through: Codified Resolution No. 53-26, adopted 7-14-26 and Ordinance No. 2622, adopted 6-2-26).
Full Breakdown
Chico Municipal Code § 19.76.030 sets locational and operational standards for adult arcades, bookstores, cabarets, motels, theaters, massage parlors, and sexual encounter establishments. These businesses must stay at least 1,000 feet from another similar business, 1,000 feet from any school, religious institution, or public park, and 300 feet from residential property, with distances measured property line to property line. Operating hours are capped between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., exterior lighting must be shielded from neighbors, and it's a misdemeanor for anyone under 18 or an obviously intoxicated person to enter or remain on the premises.
Violations & Fines
Entering or remaining on the premises while under 18 or obviously intoxicated is a misdemeanor; operating outside permitted hours or violating the spacing or development standards is enforced as a zoning violation with permit revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must an adult business be from a school in Chico?
Can minors enter an adult entertainment business in Chico?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chico
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