Mason County, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Mason County Code § 5.19.050 requires anyone operating an erotic dance studio in unincorporated Mason County to hold a studio license from the county auditor, with a nonrefundable $100 application fee; the sheriff investigates the applicant's criminal history and the department inspects the building codes before the board of county commissioners holds a public hearing and decides whether to issue it. Separately, MCC 5.19.070 bars any person from dancing at a studio without an individual dancer's license, obtained under MCC 5.19.080 for a nonrefundable $50 fee, again subject to a sheriff's background check and a board hearing on the applicant's moral character.

Both licenses run through December 31st and can be renewed, revoked, or denied if the applicant or a dancer is convicted of a chapter violation, or of a controlled-substance or prostitution-related offense under RCW 69.50 or RCW 9A.88. Once licensed, MCC 5.19.100 imposes operating rules: no dancer or patron under eighteen is allowed on the premises, the studio must close between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., no alcohol or controlled substances may be served or possessed on site, dancing must occur on a platform at least two feet above the floor, and no dancer may perform closer than ten feet to any patron, with tipping and physical contact between dancer and patron both barred. The sheriff and prosecuting attorney can inspect the studio's books and premises during business hours, up to twice a month unannounced.