Kirkland, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Establishment license fee
- $700 per year
- Manager license fee
- $100 per year
- Closed hours
- 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
- Stage requirement
- 18 inches high, 8 feet from patrons
- Minimum age
- 21, or 18 if no liquor served
- License term
- Expires December 31 annually
Summary
Kirkland requires a city license to run or work as a manager at an erotic performance establishment, on top of a regular business license. The establishment fee is $700 a year, the manager fee is $100, and business must close between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to conduct, manage or operate an erotic performance establishment unless such person is the holder of a valid and subsisting license from the city to do so, obtained in the manner provided in this chapter. (b) It is unlawful for any performer, employee or manager to knowingly work in or about or to knowingly perform any service or entertainment directly related to the operation of an unlicensed erotic performance establishment. (c) It is unlawful for any manager to work in an erotic performance establishment unless such person is the holder of a valid and subsisting license from the city to do so.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4945, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
26 governs any commercial premises where a performer provides live adult entertainment. 020 it is unlawful to conduct, manage or operate such an establishment without a valid city license, unlawful for a performer or employee to knowingly work at an unlicensed one, and unlawful for a manager to work without a separate manager's license. Establishment applicants must be at least 21 (18 if no liquor is served), submit fingerprints taken by Kirkland police, two passport-style photos, a scale diagram of the premises, and a full criminal history for the prior five years; managers file a parallel application with a $100 nonrefundable fee.
The clerk routes complete applications to the police, fire and community development departments, each of which has 30 days to report on compliance, and must issue or deny within 30 days of a complete filing. m. Licenses expire December 31 each year and are not assignable. 090 lets the clerk suspend or revoke a license for fraud, for violations the licensee knew or should have known about, or for prostitution- or drug-related convictions on the premises: a first violation draws a 30-day suspension, a second within two months draws 90 days, and a third within 24 months is revocation. 130.
Violations & Fines
Operating or working at an unlicensed erotic performance establishment is unlawful under KMC 7.26.020, and violations can trigger suspension (30 days first offense, 90 days second offense within two months, revocation on a third within 24 months) under KMC 7.26.090. The city attorney may separately sue to abate the operation as a public nuisance under KMC 7.26.130, and enforcement remedies under KMC 7.26.140 are cumulative, not exclusive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kirkland require a separate license for adult entertainment venues?
What hours can an erotic performance establishment in Kirkland operate?
What happens if Kirkland finds a licensed venue in violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkland
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle adult entertainment.