Boone County, KY Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Under Boone County Code Chapter 111, it is unlawful to operate a sexually oriented business in the unincorporated county without a valid sexually oriented business license, and unlawful for any employee (other than the licensee) to work at one without a separate sexually oriented business employee license. This rule applies only outside Florence, Union and Walton, which enforce their own municipal codes. Applicants must file in person with the County Administrator on a county form, notarized, providing legal names used in the past five years, current address, proof of age, and, for a business license, the business location, a legal description of the property, a list of employees and operators, and a diagram of the premises accurate to plus or minus six inches showing floor space open to patrons.

The County Administrator issues a temporary license within five business days for a preexisting, lawfully operating business, then must grant or issue a written denial notice within 30 days. A license must be denied if the applicant is under 18, gave false or incomplete information, has not paid the fee, has a disqualifying criminal history involving a specified criminal activity, is not the property owner or lease holder, or if the business does not meet the interior configuration requirements of Chapter 111 or the location requirements of any other county ordinance or regulation.

The initial business license fee is $100 ($50 to renew annually); the employee license fee is $50 initially ($25 to renew). Licenses must be kept on the premises or on the employee's person and are subject to occasional inspection by the County Administrator while the business is open to patrons.