Everett, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $350/year, city clerk
- Residential buffer
- 1,000 feet from residential zones
- Business buffer
- 500 feet between adult use businesses
- Adult retail buffer
- 250 feet from schools, parks, churches
Summary
Everett requires a $350 annual city license for every adult entertainment business and bars adult use businesses from locating within 1,000 feet of residential zones, schools, parks, or churches under EMC 19.13.050.
An “adult use business” as defined by this title shall be permitted within the city limits only if it meets all of the locational requirements set forth in this section. A. Adult use businesses shall be prohibited within one thousand feet of: 1. Any area of the city zoned for residential purposes... B. Adult use businesses shall be prohibited from locating within five hundred feet of: 1. Any other adult use business.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4194-26, passed July 29, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The Everett Municipal Code licenses every public place of adult entertainment through the city clerk (EMC 5.120.030, $350/year, plus separate manager and entertainer licenses) and separately zones where adult use businesses and adult retail stores may locate. EMC 19.13.050 bars adult use businesses within 1,000 feet of any residential zone, religious facility, K-12 school, or city park, and within 500 feet of another adult use business or an establishment selling alcohol for on-premises consumption. EMC 19.13.040 adds a parallel 250-foot buffer for adult retail stores from libraries, playgrounds, schools, day cares, churches, and residential lots, plus a 1,000-foot separation from other adult retail or adult use businesses.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unlicensed public place of adult entertainment, or siting an adult use or adult retail business inside a required buffer, exposes the operator to license denial or revocation and city code enforcement under EMC 5.120 and 19.13.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an adult entertainment business locate anywhere in Everett?
Does Everett require a special license for adult entertainment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
Compare Everett to another location·View the Washington business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle adult entertainment.