Boulder County, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- County land use dept. / law enforcement
- Spacing requirement
- 1,000 feet from church, school, home
- Permitted hours
- 4 p.m.-midnight, Monday-Saturday only
- Minimum age
- 21, patrons and staff alike
- Fine
- $300 per day, class 2 petty offense
Summary
Boulder County bars adult entertainment establishments from operating within 1,000 feet of any church, school, daycare, or residence, limits nude entertainment to 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday, and bans anyone under 21 from the premises. Each day of violation is a separate offense punishable by a $300 fine.
No one under 21 years of age shall be admitted to any Adult Entertainment Establishment. This minimum age limitation also applies to any employees, agents, servants or independent contractors working on the premises during hours when nude entertainment is being presented. Nude entertainment shall only be available at Adult Entertainment Establishments from the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight, Monday through Saturday of each week. No person shall operate or maintain an Adult Entertainment Establishment within 1000 feet of any church, school, daycare center or preschool, or residence... Any person who violates any provision of these regulations commits a class 2 petty offense and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine of $300 for each separate violation.
Full Breakdown
Ordinance No. 94-1 regulates any establishment open to the public where people appear in a state of nudity to entertain patrons, whether or not it's licensed to serve alcohol, calling these Adult Entertainment Establishments. Nudity is defined to include exposing the female breast below the top of the areola, or the pubic hair, anus, cleft of the buttocks, vulva, or genitals. No one under 21 may be admitted, and that age floor also applies to employees, agents, servants, or independent contractors working while nude entertainment is being presented.
to midnight, Monday through Saturday; Sundays are excluded entirely. No such establishment may operate within 1,000 feet of any church, school, daycare center, preschool, or residence, measured from the nearest point of access to the establishment's structure to the closest property line of the protected use, and nudity itself must stay inside the fully enclosed portion of the building. Establishments already operating in violation of the 1,000-foot spacing rule when the ordinance took effect got a six-month amortization period to come into compliance or shut down. A landowner or lessee who knowingly lets an Adult Entertainment Establishment violate the spacing rule on their property is separately liable. § 16-13-302.
Violations & Fines
Violating the ordinance is a class 2 petty offense punishable by a $300 fine, and each separate day of violation is charged as its own offense. The Zoning Administrator, Chief Building Official, zoning and building inspectors, other land use department staff, or any law enforcement officer can use the state's penalty assessment procedure or file a summons and complaint. Repeated or continuing violations are a public nuisance the County Attorney can sue to enjoin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can an adult entertainment club be to a school?
What hours can nude entertainment run in unincorporated Boulder County?
What's the penalty for violating the spacing or hours rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boulder County
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