Medina, OH Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Sexually Oriented Business License, § 711.04
- Application fee
- $50 nonrefundable
- Annual license fee
- $25, due within 30 days
- Issuing authority
- Chief of Police
- Location limit
- Barred from Zoning Code § 1153.04(a)(37) areas
- Hours limit
- Closed 1am-8am weekdays/Sat, 1am-noon Sun
- Penalty
- 1st-degree misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months
Summary
Medina requires every sexually oriented business to hold a city-issued "Sexually Oriented Business License" and restricts where such businesses may operate under the Medina City Zoning Code, per Codified Ordinances §§ 711.04 and 711.21. Employees need a separate license, and the Chief of Police administers issuance.
711.04 SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESS LICENSE REQUIRED. (a) No person shall operate a sexually oriented business without a valid "Sexually Oriented Business License" issued by the City for the particular type of sexually oriented business classification. ... 711.21 LOCATION. Sexually oriented businesses shall not be operated within the limits of Section 1153.04(a)(37) of the Medina City Zoning Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025-01: Local legislation current through June 24, 2025 | State legislation current through December 31, 2024).
Full Breakdown
04(a) bars operating a sexually oriented business without a valid "Sexually Oriented Business License" issued for the business's particular classification, with applications made on forms provided by the Chief of Police under subsection (b). 05 requires a parallel employee license for anyone working at such a business. 06, the Chief of Police must approve issuance or renewal within sixty days unless the applicant is under eighteen, is delinquent on City taxes, fees or fines, or has supplied false or incomplete information. 08 sets the cost: a $50 nonrefundable application and investigation fee with every new or renewal application, plus a $25 annual license fee due within thirty days of issuance or renewal, both payable to the Chief of Police.
04(a)(37) of the Medina City Zoning Code, layering a zoning-based spacing restriction on top of the licensing scheme. 24), and regulate escort agencies, nude model studios and adult motels. The chapter took effect under Ord. 41-98, passed May 11, 1998.
Violations & Fines
Section 711.99(a) makes any Chapter 711 violation a misdemeanor of the first degree punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. Subsection (b) recognizes a narrow affirmative defense to §§ 711.04, 711.21 and 711.22(d) for nudity occurring in an accredited college or university modeling class.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medina
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