Cranston, RI Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Cranston Code § 5.12.080
- Applies to
- All liquor-licensed premises
- Individual fine
- Up to $200.00 per offense
- License consequence
- Revocation or suspension
- No local
- Zoning permit or spacing rule
Summary
Cranston forbids nude and topless exposure on any liquor-licensed premises citywide, backing the ban with fines and liquor-license revocation rather than a zoning permit scheme.
In accordance with and pursuant to authority granted by RIGL 3-7-7.3, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, partnership or other entity holding a liquor license in the city...to suffer or permit...any person, while on the premises of the liquor license holder, to expose to public view, his or her genitals, pubic area, anus, anal cleavage, or anal cleft...Any person...who violates...shall be subject to revocation or suspension of the liquor license...and...a fine not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00) for each offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4824304; v14 updated 2026-05-18).
Full Breakdown
Cranston Code § 5.12.080 makes it unlawful for anyone on a liquor-licensed premises to expose genitals, pubic area, anus, or breast below the areola, or to simulate such exposure with a covering, enacted under RIGL § 3-7-7.3. There is no separate sexually oriented business permit or spacing ordinance in the code: this liquor-license restriction is Cranston's only local rule reaching adult-entertainment-style exposure, and it applies everywhere alcohol is served for on-premises consumption, not just in specific zoning districts.
Violations & Fines
Fine up to $200.00 per offense for the individual who exposes; the license holder faces the same $200.00 fine plus revocation or suspension of the liquor license after a hearing before the committee on safety services and licenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cranston require a special permit for adult entertainment businesses?
Can a Cranston bar be shut down for nude performances?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cranston
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle adult entertainment.