El Paso County, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential buffer
- 1,000 feet minimum
- Also protected
- Schools, parks, religious sites
- Business-to-business
- 1,000 ft separation required
- Citation
- LDC § 5.2.49(A)-(B)
Summary
El Paso County requires sexually-oriented businesses to sit at least 1,000 feet from residential zoning, schools, parks and religious institutions, and 1,000 feet from each other.
No structure may be used for a sexually-oriented business if the structure is located within 1,000 feet of any property: (1) where residential uses are identified as a principally allowed use; (2) a public or private K-12 school; (3) a public park; or (4) a religious institution. All minimum distances shall be measured as linear measurements from the zoning district boundaries or from the property line of any residential use, public or private K-12 school, public park, or religious institution to the nearest wall of the structure in which the sexually-oriented business is to be located. Measurements are not affected by municipal boundaries.
CD5:57 Supp. No. 1
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Development Code: Supplement 3 | Drainage Criteria Manual: Publication | Engineering Criteria Manual: Supplement 3 | Ordinances: Reformat).
Full Breakdown
Land Development Code § 5.2.49 sets spacing rules for sexually-oriented businesses in unincorporated El Paso County. No structure may house one within 1,000 feet of another sexually-oriented business, and none may sit within 1,000 feet of any property where residential use is principally allowed, a public or private K-12 school, a public park, or a religious institution. Distances run from the zoning district or property boundary to the nearest wall of the business structure, unaffected by municipal boundaries.
Violations & Fines
Locating a sexually-oriented business inside the 1,000-foot residential, school, park or religious-institution buffer violates § 5.2.49(B) and can block or revoke land-use approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a sexually-oriented business be from a home in El Paso County?
Can two sexually-oriented businesses operate near each other?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso County
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