Denton, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Separation buffer
- 1,000 feet from protected uses
- Allowed zoning
- Heavy Industrial (HI) only
- Approval
- Specific Use Permit required
- Per building
- One SOB per structure
- Minimum age
- No employees under 18
Summary
Denton allows a sexually oriented business only in the Heavy Industrial district and only with a specific use permit, and bars it from operating adjacent to an arterial street within 1,000 feet of schools, churches, day cares, parks, hospitals, residences, or another adult business.
Location of Sexually Oriented Businesses. ... Sexually oriented businesses shall comply with the following separation requirements: a. A sexually oriented business shall not operate adjacent to an arterial street and within 1,000 feet of the following uses: i. A school, church, adult or child day care, elderly housing facility, hospital, public park or playground, residential zoning district, or lot devoted to a residential use; or ii. Another sexually oriented business.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37 Update 1 | Development Code: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
A sexually oriented business is permitted only in the Heavy Industrial (HI) zoning district, and only after the City Council approves a Specific Use Permit; it is prohibited in every other district. It cannot operate adjacent to an arterial street within 1,000 feet of a school, church, adult or child day care, elderly housing facility, hospital, public park or playground, residential district, or another adult business, measured in a straight line to the nearest property line. Only one such business is allowed per building or structure. Escort agencies, nude model studios, and adult theaters carry added age restrictions, and prohibited conduct is charged as a criminal offense.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a Specific Use Permit, outside the Heavy Industrial district, or inside the 1,000-foot separation buffer is prohibited; employing or admitting anyone under 18 at an escort agency or nude model studio is a criminal offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a sexually oriented business open in Denton?
How far must a Denton adult business stay from schools and homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Denton
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Denton County handle adult entertainment.