Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Conditional use permit, planning commission
- Spacing from another adult business
- 1 mile minimum
- Spacing from church/school/childcare/liquor
- 1,000 ft minimum
- Spacing from residential area/school bus stop
- 750 ft minimum
- Permit term
- 12 months (24 after 3 clean years)
- Hours of operation
- 10 a.m. to midnight
- Minimum age on premises
- 18
Summary
Outside Wasilla, Palmer and Houston, no adult business open to patrons may operate in Matanuska-Susitna Borough without a conditional use permit, and it cannot sit within one mile of another adult business, 1,000 feet of a church, school, playground, child care facility or liquor licensee, or 750 feet of a residential area or school bus stop.
No adult business may be located within one mile of any other adult business, less than 1,000 feet from a church or other place of worship, child care facility, playground or playing field, public or private school, or any premises licensed for the sale or service of alcoholic beverages, or less than 750 feet from a residential area or school bus stop that was designated at the time of the application by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. ... Unless otherwise specified by code, this chapter is applicable in all areas of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough outside the city limits of Houston, Palmer, and Wasilla.
Full Breakdown
010(B) makes the chapter applicable everywhere outside the city limits of Houston, Palmer and Wasilla. 015(B) limits each permit to one location; anyone running more than one adult business needs a separate permit for each. Permits run 12 months, extending to 24 months after three years of violation-free operation. 030(A), bars an adult business from locating within one mile of any other adult business, within 1,000 feet of a church or place of worship, child care facility, playground or playing field, public or private school, or any premises licensed to sell alcohol, or within 750 feet of a residential area or a school bus stop designated by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District.
Applications require fingerprints and photographs of anyone who will manage the business, a state-fire-marshal-approved site plan, and a nonrefundable fee set by the assembly. 035.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required conditional use permit, or violating a permit's physical or operational conditions, is enforced under MSB Chapter 17.56 and can result in suspension or revocation of the permit under § 17.90.040(A), following a public hearing before the commission with advance notice to the permit holder and the property owner. Appeals go to the borough assembly under MSB Chapter 15.39.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the borough require a special permit for adult businesses?
How far must an adult business be from a school or church?
Can adult businesses operate 24 hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
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