Alamance County, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $500 nonrefundable, annual
- Renewal fee
- $250 per year
- Spacing from other SOBs
- 1,000 feet minimum
- Spacing from parks/schools/worship
- 1,500 feet minimum
- Hours allowed
- 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
- Minimum age
- 21 to enter, work, or perform
- Issuing agency
- Alamance County Planning Department
Summary
Alamance County requires a $500 annual license from the Planning Department before any adult establishment or sexually oriented business can operate, plus a 1,000-foot buffer from other such businesses and a 1,500-foot buffer from parks, schools, houses of worship, day cares, and major residential subdivisions.
Adult establishments and sexually-oriented businesses must: a) Not be located within 1,000' of any other adult establishment or sexually-oriented business regulated by this ordinance. […] d) Not be located within 1,500' of a park, school, house of worship, community center, or child day care center. e) Not be located within 1,500' of a major residential subdivision. […] A non-refundable license fee of $500.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
2 of the Unified Development Ordinance governs adult establishments and sexually oriented businesses countywide. 2(a), such a business cannot sit within 1,000 feet of another adult establishment or sexually oriented business, cannot share a building with one, and cannot locate within 1,500 feet of a park, school, house of worship, community center, child day care center, or major residential subdivision. A property owner who wants relief from those distances can petition the Board of Commissioners for a waiver, and the Board may grant it if the use won't harm nearby properties and still serves the ordinance's intent.
A: the application discloses the owner, operator, and agents, includes government-issued photo identification for each, and triggers a criminal background check for drug-related felonies or sexually related crimes, completed within 21 business days. The non-refundable license fee is $500, the license runs for one year or the period of ownership, whichever is shorter, and renewal costs $250 annually. A felony conviction for a sexually oriented or drug-related offense within the past 15 years, or a matching misdemeanor within the past 10 years, requires denial of the license.
, no one under 21 may be admitted or employed, entertainers must perform on a platform raised at least 4 feet and stay at least 4 feet from patrons, and operators must comply with the county Noise Ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult establishment or sexually oriented business without a Planning Department license, or without a separate license for each managerial employee, is a violation of the Unified Development Ordinance. Failing to obtain a new license within 30 days of an ownership change is also a violation subject to civil penalties. Fines follow Section 4.4's general enforcement schedule: a $500 civil citation per violation, assessed for each day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must an adult business be from a school in Alamance County?
What does an adult business license cost?
Can the spacing requirement be waived?
What hours can an adult business operate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alamance County
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