Garland, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Separation from protected uses
- 1,000 feet
- Spacing from another SOB
- 1,000 feet
- Permit term
- One year, renewable
- Issuing agency
- Building Official
- Applicant notice
- On-site sign + newspaper
Summary
Garland requires a city permit to operate any sexually oriented business, and the Building Official must deny it whenever the site sits within 1,000 feet of a home, place of worship, school, licensed day-care, or public park, or within 1,000 feet of another such business.
The director shall issue a permit to the applicant unless one or more of the following conditions exist: (a) The applicant's sexually oriented business is located within 1,000 feet of any place of worship, school, boundary of a residential district, licensed day-care center, public park or the property line of a lot devoted to a residential use, as measured in accordance with section 26.92(E); (b) The applicant's sexually oriented business is located within 1,000 feet of any other sexually oriented business for which there is a permit issued under this article...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4862189; v40 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
Under Garland Code § 26.93, no one may operate a sexually oriented business without a valid permit issued by the City, posted near the principal public entrance. Applications go to the Building Official, who has 30 days to grant or deny and must deny if the site is within 1,000 feet of a place of worship, school, residential district boundary, licensed day-care center, public park, or a residential lot, or within 1,000 feet of another permitted sexually oriented business. Applicants must publish notice in a Dallas County newspaper and post a 24-by-36-inch on-site sign. Permits run one year and are renewable. Disqualifying criminal history and sex-offender registration also bar issuance. The Unified Building Standards Commission handles revocation.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a valid, posted permit is an offense, and each day is a separate violation for suspension. The City Attorney may seek revocation for repeated Penal Code offenses on the premises, admitting minors, or false application information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to open an adult business in Garland?
How far must a Garland adult business be from a church or school?
Can two adult businesses locate near each other?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garland
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle adult entertainment.