Horry County, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License issued by
- Chief of police
- Establishment license fee
- $100 initial / $50 renewal
- Employee license fee
- $50 initial / $25 renewal
- Hours restriction
- Closed midnight to 6:00 a.m.
- Full nudity
- Prohibited outright, $50 fine
- Semi-nude minimum distance
- 6 feet from patrons
Summary
Adult entertainment establishments in unincorporated Horry County need a chief-of-police-issued license, and every employee needs a separate one, under an ordinance built to control the secondary effects of the trade, with fixed hours, lighting rules and a strict no-touch policy.
Adult entertainment establishment license. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate an adult entertainment establishment in the county without a valid adult entertainment establishment license. Employee license. It shall be unlawful for any person to be an "employee," as defined in this article, of an adult entertainment establishment in the county without a valid adult entertainment establishment employee license, except that a person who is a licensee under a valid adult entertainment establishment license shall not be required to also obtain an adult entertainment establishment employee license.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
5-144. 5-145 sets the initial fee at $100 for the establishment license and $50 for an employee license, with $50 and $25 annual renewals respectively. 5-152. 5-153 require overhead lighting of at least five footcandles, unobstructed sightlines from an operator's station into every viewing room, and a ban on porous wall or seat materials. 5-154 requires exterior lighting of at least one footcandle, employee monitoring of the premises at least every 90 minutes, and a ban on fences or walls that block the parking lot from public view.
5-157 bans full nudity outright and limits semi-nude performers to staying at least six feet from patrons on a stage at least 18 inches high in a room of at least 600 square feet, with no touching between employee and customer permitted at all. 5-141, is to control secondary effects like crime and blight associated with the industry, not to restrict protected speech.
Violations & Fines
Operating, or working, without the required license is punishable under the county's general penalty section, § 1-8, referenced by § 12.5-155(a). Appearing fully nude on the premises is a specific infraction carrying a $50 fine under § 12.5-155(a) and § 12.5-157(a). A premises repeatedly operated in violation of the article is declared a public nuisance subject to court abatement under § 12.5-155(b), and county legal counsel can bring civil proceedings to enjoin ongoing violations under § 12.5-155(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues an adult entertainment business license in Horry County?
What hours can an adult entertainment business operate in Horry County?
Is full nudity allowed in a Horry County adult entertainment venue?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Horry County
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