Kankakee County, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Where allowed
- Special use in I2 industrial district only
- Buffer from residential zoning/dwellings
- 1,000 feet
- Buffer from schools, parks, churches, libraries
- 1,000 feet
- Buffer from another adult establishment
- 1,000 feet
- Minimum patron/performer age
- 21 years
- Definition of 'minor' for buffer purposes
- Under 18
Summary
Adult bookstores, adult theaters, and adult entertainment establishments are a special use in the I2 general industrial district only, and every one must sit at least 1,000 feet from residential-zoned property, from any residential dwelling, from schools, parks, churches, and libraries, and from any other adult establishment.
(5)Adult book stores, motion picture theaters, and entertainment establishments; with, but not limited to, the following restrictions (for purposes of this section, distance shall be by airline measurement from property line to property line, using the closest property lines of the parcels of land involved):a.The establishments are not located within 1,000 feet of any property zoned A1, A2, RE, R1 or R2.b.The establishment is not located within 1,000 feet of any residential dwelling.c.The establishment is not located within 1,000 feet of any church, religious institution, day care center, library, teen center, school, public park or playground, or recreational facility where minors congregate. As used in this subsection, "minors" means person under 18 years of age.d.The establishment is not located within 1,000 feet of another adult establishment.
Full Breakdown
Section 121-209(b)(5) allows adult bookstores, motion picture theaters, and entertainment establishments only as a special use in the I2 industrial district, meaning each one needs Zoning Board of Appeals review and county board approval, not just a standard business permit. The spacing rules are measured by airline distance between the closest property lines of the parcels involved, and they stack: the use cannot sit within 1,000 feet of any property zoned A1, A2, RE, R1, or R2, within 1,000 feet of any residential dwelling regardless of zoning, within 1,000 feet of a church, day care center, library, teen center, school, park, playground, or any recreational facility where minors congregate, or within 1,000 feet of another adult establishment.
The chapter defines 'minors' as anyone under 18 for purposes of that buffer. Operational restrictions layer on top of the spacing rules: no material depicting specified anatomical areas or sexual activities may be visible from any public way, no adult use may operate where alcoholic beverages are served or consumed, and no person under 21 is allowed on the premises at all. Viewing areas inside the establishment must be visible from a continuous main aisle, lit to at least ten footcandles, and free of any aperture between viewing booths, and performances must occur on a platform raised at least two feet off the floor and at least ten feet from any patron, with no fondling or exchange of gratuities between performers and patrons permitted.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult bookstore, theater, or entertainment establishment outside the I2 district, without an approved special use permit, or inside the 1,000-foot buffer from a residential district, dwelling, school, park, church, or another adult establishment is a zoning violation enforceable by the county. Allowing a person under 21 on the premises, permitting alcohol service on site, or allowing visibility of prohibited material from a public way each independently violates the operational conditions attached to the special use, and the county can pursue permit revocation for noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can an adult bookstore legally operate in unincorporated Kankakee County?
How is the 1,000-foot distance measured?
Can alcohol be served at an adult entertainment venue?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kankakee County
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