Granville County, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Chapter 8, Article II, "Adult Establishments," and Section 32-230 of the Land Development Code work together to regulate these uses. Section 8-31(b) defines an adult establishment as "an adult bookstore, adult motion picture theater, adult mini motion picture theater, adult live entertainment business, or massage business," and requires an applicant to file a license application with the board of commissioners, submit proof of good moral character, and for massage businesses, furnish a health certificate for the operator and every employee to the sheriff's department. Section 8-32 then requires "a license fee as set from time to time and in the fee manual in the county clerk's office" to operate.

The sheriff's department inspects licensed premises, keeps employee rosters on file, and can recommend revocation to the board of commissioners for a code violation, a licensee's conviction involving moral turpitude, or a nuisance to public health, safety, or morals; the licensee gets written notice and a hearing before any revocation. Section 32-230's zoning standards layer on top of the licensing chapter. No adult establishment may sit within 1,000 feet of another one, measured wall to wall, or within 1,000 feet of any residentially zoned area (AR-80, AR-40, R-25, MHPD) or the property line of a residential unit, church, synagogue, temple, nursery school, child care center, or public or private school.

A 15-foot buffer of naturally wooded or planted screening is required along side and rear property lines. Hours run 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, viewing booths must stay open to staff view with one patron each, servers must wear a shirt and pants, patrons under 18 are barred, signage is limited to one 20-square-foot unlit wall sign, and parking is set at four spaces per 1,000 square feet of floor area.