Haverhill, MA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

The City of Haverhill regulates sexually oriented businesses under Section 7.9 of the Haverhill Zoning Ordinance (Code Chapter 255), adopted under MGL Chapter 40A to address secondary effects such as increased crime and declining property values. An adult use is not allowed anywhere in Haverhill as of right: Section 7.9.3 requires a special permit from the Board of Appeals, granted only after the Board issues a written determination that the special permit criteria in Section 10.5 have been met.

Location is the central control. Section 7.9.4 bars an adult use from sitting within 500 feet of any residential district or within 1,000 feet of another adult use, so the city cannot develop a cluster of such businesses. The ordinance also blocks adult uses along the primary routes into the city, naming Washington Street, Groveland Street, Lincoln Avenue, Water Street, Main Street, Broadway, North Broadway, River Street, Kenoza Avenue, Monument Square and Hilldale Avenue by name. Inside the Central Business District an adult use is prohibited outright; in the CG and BG commercial districts it may proceed only with a special permit from the City Council itself, a second layer of review beyond the Board of Appeals process.

Section 7.9.5 adds operating conditions. The Board of Appeals cannot grant a special permit to anyone convicted of, or violating, MGL c. 119, Section 63 or MGL c. 272, Section 28. Adult merchandise cannot be displayed in store windows or otherwise made visible to the general public, and no one under age 21 may be admitted to the premises. The Building Commissioner enforces the zoning code generally, and the Board of Appeals can revoke a special permit for noncompliance with these conditions.