Pierce County, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Establishment license
- Required, PCC 5.14.030
- Entertainer/manager license
- Required, PCC 5.14.100/.110
- Stage height minimum
- 18 inches above floor
- License expiration
- December 31 each year
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 90 days jail
Summary
Adult entertainment establishments, entertainers, and managers in unincorporated Pierce County must each hold a separate county license under Chapter 5.14 PCC, which also sets strict conduct rules like an 18-inch stage requirement and a no-touching rule.
All adult entertainment shall occur on a stage or platform intended for that purpose which is raised at least 18 inches from the level of the floor. ... No entertainer or employee shall fondle, caress, or touch any patron in a manner which seeks to arouse or excite the patrons' sexual desires.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-515, and legislation passed through May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
030. 080. 190 govern conduct on the premises in detail: all adult entertainment must occur on a stage or platform raised at least 18 inches above the floor, entertainers and patrons may not touch each other in a sexually arousing manner, tips may only be placed in the entertainer's hand or paid electronically (never placed on the body), and the interior area where entertainment occurs must remain visible from common areas without opaque barriers. No one under 18 may work as an entertainer, or under 21 at establishments serving alcohol, and the same age floor applies to patrons being admitted.
A 36-by-24-inch sign spelling out these conduct rules must be conspicuously posted. 230 lets the Auditor suspend or revoke a license for up to two years for a false statement or a chapter violation, and can impose a temporary four-foot buffer between stage and patrons after four touching violations in six months. 250 makes any violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, 90 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult entertainment establishment, or working as an entertainer or manager, without the license Chapter 5.14 PCC requires, or violating the conduct rules of PCC 5.14.190, is a misdemeanor under PCC 5.14.250 punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment up to 90 days, or both, with each day a continuing violation persists charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do individual performers need their own license at Pierce County adult entertainment venues?
What stage requirements apply to adult entertainment venues in Pierce County?
What is the penalty for violating Pierce County's adult entertainment rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pierce County
Compare Pierce County to another location·View the Washington business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.