Miami Beach, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential/school/park setback
- 300 feet
- Setback from another adult use
- 1,000 feet
- Minimum building size
- 8,000 square feet
- Minimum seating
- 250 seats
- Permitted hours for partial nudity
- 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.
- Hotel exemption threshold
- 300+ hotel units
Summary
Miami Beach bans total nudity and sexual conduct at any alcoholic beverage establishment citywide and confines partial nudity to locations set back 300 feet from residential zones, schools, houses of worship and parks, and 1,000 feet from another adult entertainment establishment.
(a)Location generally. No alcoholic beverage establishment permitting partial nudity is permitted on a parcel of land located:(1)Within 300 feet of any district designated as RS, RM, or RPS on the city's official zoning district map;(2)Within 300 feet of any parcel of land upon which a house of worship, school, public park or playground is located; or(3)Within 1,000 feet of any parcel of land upon which another adult entertainment establishment is located. A hotel with a minimum of 300 hotel units shall be exempt from subsections (a)(1), (2) and (3) of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98 | Resiliency Code (Current Land Development Regulations): Publication | Ordinance 89-2665 (Previous Land Development Regulations): Publication).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 6-40 flatly prohibits total nudity or sexual conduct at any alcoholic beverage establishment on any parcel in Miami Beach, and makes it unlawful for an owner, manager or patron to permit or engage in it. Establishments permitting partial nudity are treated separately under Sec. 6-41: they cannot locate within 300 feet of any RS, RM or RPS-zoned parcel, within 300 feet of a house of worship, school, public park or playground, or within 1,000 feet of another adult entertainment establishment, with distances measured in a straight line between the two closest points or principal entrances.
A hotel with 300 or more hotel units is exempt from all three spacing rules. m. Performers must stay at least three feet from patrons, cannot dance with or converse with patrons, and screened private-performance areas are banned outright. A certificate of use or occupational license cannot issue until the police, fire, building and code compliance departments each report compliance. Variances to the location and mandatory-requirement subsections run through the city's Sec. 118-351 variance procedure. Establishments operating with total or partial nudity before December 19, 1989 under a valid state alcoholic beverage license may continue partial nudity as a grandfathered nonconforming use under Sec. 6-38, but once that use converts to a conforming use it cannot revert.
Violations & Fines
Violations trigger revocation proceedings against the business tax receipt, certificate of use or certificate of occupancy under Sec. 6-37, plus enforcement under the Charter's general penalty in Sec. 1-14 or Sec. 114-8. Prostitution, solicitation and controlled-substance activity on the premises are separately barred under Sec. 6-41(c) referencing F.S. §§ 768.01 and 893.02(4).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Miami Beach bar allow full nudity?
How close can a partial-nudity club be to a residential zone?
Does a large hotel get an exception?
What happens if a club violates the spacing or hours rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami Beach
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle adult entertainment.