Craven County, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Chapter 4, Article IV of the Craven County Code makes it unlawful to operate an adult establishment in unincorporated Craven County without a valid permit issued by the sheriff's office. Existing businesses at the time the article passed had 90 days to apply or had to cease operating. Applicants file in triplicate with the clerk to the board of commissioners, and the sheriff must act within 30 days, checking age (21+), tax delinquency, fire marshal and building inspector sign-off, and whether alcohol will be served (alcohol service is an automatic denial ground).

The annual permit fee is $500, used to fund administration and enforcement. No one under 21 may enter or remain on the premises, and an attendant must staff every public entrance to check identification during business hours. Separately, Section 4-95 bars locating any adult establishment within 1,000 feet of a church or other regular place of worship, a public or private school, a public park, a licensed day care center, or any business selling beer, wine, distilled spirits or liquor, measured in a straight line between the nearest lot lines.

The sheriff can suspend a permit for up to 30 days or revoke it outright for violations such as allowing gambling, prostitution, controlled substances, or underage entry, with revocation triggering a full one-year ban on reapplying. Denials and revocations can be appealed in writing to the board of commissioners.