Green Bay, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License authority
- City of Green Bay, one per site
- Zoning status
- Conditional Use only
- Closing hours
- 2:00–6:00 a.m. (2:30 a.m. weekend)
- Age limit
- under 18 barred from entry
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 forfeiture
Summary
Green Bay requires a City-issued license to operate any sexually-oriented adult entertainment business under Sec. 10-200, on top of Conditional Use zoning approval and Sec. 10-209's 2:00 a.m.–6:00 a.m. closing hours.
(a)Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, no adult establishment shall be operated or maintained in the City of Green Bay without first obtaining a license to operate issued by the City of Green Bay.(b)A license may be issued only for one adult establishment located at a fixed and certain place. Any person, partnership, or corporation which desires to operate more than one adult establishment must have a license for each.(c)No license or interest in a license may be transferred to any person, partnership, or corporation.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 10-200 bars operating an adult establishment, bookstores, cabarets, bath houses, modeling or body painting studios, and similar sexually-oriented businesses defined in Sec. 10-199, without a City license, issued one per fixed location and non-transferable. Applicants undergo Police Department background checks, and the zoning use table treats adult entertainment as a Conditional Use rather than a by-right use. Sec. 10-209 layers on operating rules: no admission to anyone under 18, mandatory employee registration with police, posted STD information, and closing between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. (2:30 a.m. Saturday/Sunday). Violations carry forfeitures up to $1,000 under Sec. 10-212, plus possible license revocation.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult establishment without the Sec. 10-200 license, admitting a minor, or staying open past the Sec. 10-209 closing hours draws a forfeiture up to $1,000 per Sec. 10-212, with repeat violations risking license revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an adult entertainment business open anywhere zoned commercial?
What are the closing hours for adult entertainment venues?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Green Bay
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Brown County handle adult entertainment.