Jackson, MS Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

City Code § 30-277(a) makes it unlawful to operate a sexually oriented business without a valid license issued under Article VII, to employ a person as a sexually oriented business employee who lacks the required employee license, or to work at such a business without first securing that employee license; § 30-277(b) makes operating unlicensed a misdemeanor. Section 30-301 classifies licensed businesses as adult arcades, adult bookstores, adult novelty or video stores, adult cabarets, adult motels, and adult motion picture theaters. Applicants under § 30-278 must apply through the Jackson Police Department, submit fingerprints and a photograph, disclose any conviction for a specified criminal activity, and designate at least one individual principally responsible for day-to-day operation who also qualifies as a licensee.

Under § 30-279, the police chief must approve or deny a completed license application within 30 days, notifying the fire chief and building inspector to certify fire- and building-code compliance, and can deny a license if an applicant is under 21, was convicted of a specified criminal activity, had a license revoked within the past 12 months in any jurisdiction, or would put the business in violation of the city's zoning ordinance. Fees under § 30-302 are $275.00 to apply for a new business license and $165.00 to renew it, plus a separate $100.00 annual license fee due within 30 days of issuance or renewal; an employee license costs $193.00 new and $110.00 to renew. Section 30-303 requires the police department to inspect each licensed business at least four times a year to check compliance, and makes refusing a lawful inspection a misdemeanor. Every license expires one year after issuance under § 30-283 and is not transferable between owners or locations under § 30-284.