High Point, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- From other adult use
- 1,200 feet minimum
- From schools/parks/churches
- 650 feet minimum
- Max floor area
- 3,000 square feet
- Business license fee
- $500 (Sec. 11-7-3)
Summary
High Point requires a city-issued license for sexually oriented businesses and keeps adult entertainment establishments at least 1,200 feet from each other and 650 feet from schools, parks, and churches.
(a)Other Adult Entertainment Establishments An adult entertainment establishment shall not be located within 1,200 feet of any other adult entertainment establishment, measured as a straight line from lot line to lot line.(b)Other Uses An adult entertainment establishment shall not be located within 650 feet of a religious institution, school, day care, public park, land in a residential district, or an establishment with an on premise ABC license, measured as a straight line from lot line to lot line.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9 | Development Ordinance: Supplement 14).
Full Breakdown
High Point's zoning code treats adult entertainment as a use category with its own separation standards, aimed at preventing these businesses from clustering in one area of the city. An adult entertainment establishment cannot sit within 1,200 feet of another one, measured lot line to lot line, and cannot sit within 650 feet of a religious institution, school, day care, public park, residential district, or an ABC-licensed premise. Gross floor area is capped at 3,000 square feet, sleeping quarters are barred except for adult motels, and only one such use is allowed per building. Separately, the city's general code (Sec. 11-7-3) requires a $500 sexually oriented business license issued by the city clerk before any such business may operate.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult entertainment establishment inside the 1,200-foot or 650-foot separation buffers, or without the required sexually oriented business license, violates Development Ordinance § 4.3.4.A and Code § 11-7-3.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must an adult business be from a school in High Point?
Do adult businesses in High Point also need a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in High Point
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle adult entertainment.