Evansville, IN Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed zones
- C-4, M-1, M-2, M-3 only
- Residential buffer
- 1,000 feet minimum
- School/park/other-use buffer
- 500 feet minimum
- Permit approval window
- Expires after 180 days unused
- First violation fine
- Up to $500
Summary
Adult arcades, bookstores, cabarets and theaters are confined to Evansville's C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 zones and must sit at least 1,000 feet from residential property and 500 feet from schools, parks or other adult businesses.
(B) In addition to all other requirements of this title, these businesses shall comply with the following restrictions: (1) Shall not be located within 1,000 feet of any property zoned for residential use (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, or R-5); (2) Shall not be located within 500 feet of any property permitted for use as a religious institution or public or private school containing any grade from kindergarten through grade 12; (3) Shall not be located within 500 feet of any City park; and (4) Shall not be located within 500 feet of any other Use Group 21 facility...
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance G-2026-12, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Evansville Municipal Code § 18.125.240 (Use Group 21) permits adult arcades, adult bookstores/novelty/video stores, adult cabarets, juice or bikini bars, adult motion picture theaters, adult theaters, nude model studios, sexual encounter centers and peep show facilities only in the C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 zoning districts. Each must also clear 1,000 feet from any residentially zoned property and 500 feet from religious institutions, K-12 schools, City parks, and other Use Group 21 uses, measured point-to-point in a straight line. A registered land surveyor must certify the distances, and the Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan Commission issues the improvement location or zoning use permit only after Site Review Committee approval, which expires if unused within 180 days.
Violations & Fines
Locating within the buffer or operating without Area Plan Commission approval is a Title 18 zoning violation carrying civil penalties from $500 up to $7,500 for repeat offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Evansville
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