Linn County, IA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Conditional use permit, renewed every 5 years
- Residential/school buffer
- 1,000 feet from homes, schools, parks
- Spacing between businesses
- 500 feet from another adult use
- Max building size
- 10,000 square feet
- Enforcing agency
- Linn County Zoning Administrator
Summary
Unincorporated Linn County requires a conditional use permit for any adult entertainment business, renewed every five years, with a major site plan, 1,000-foot buffers from homes and schools, and a 10,000-square-foot size cap.
Adult entertainment uses shall meet the following standards: (1)Major site plan and CUP required. ...An adult entertainment use shall require a conditional use permit. ...(5)Separation requirements. Adult entertainment uses shall be located the following minimum distances...: a.One thousand feet from residences, day care, public parks or playgrounds, religious institutions or educational institutions and public libraries... b.Five hundred feet from another adult entertainment use... (6)Maximum building size. The maximum size of a structure where an adult entertainment use occurs shall be no larger than 10,000 square feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
The Linn County Unified Development Code treats adult entertainment as a conditional use in the unincorporated county. An applicant must submit a major site plan and obtain a conditional use permit, which the county renews every five years. The use must sit at least 1,000 feet from residences, day cares, parks, religious institutions, schools, and public libraries, and at least 500 feet from any other adult entertainment use. Buildings are capped at 10,000 square feet, sexually explicit material can't appear on signs or windows, exterior colors must stay muted, and hours are limited to avoid impacts on neighbors. Cedar Rapids and Marion regulate these businesses separately under their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required CUP is a county infraction under UDC § 107-115, enforceable by civil citation, a court-ordered fine, injunctive abatement, or a simple misdemeanor charge under Ch. 1, Art. II.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply inside Cedar Rapids or Marion?
How close can an adult entertainment business be to a home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linn County
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