Middletown, OH Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $500.00 nonrefundable filing fee
- Issuing authority
- Chief of Police, City of Middletown
- Hours
- Closed 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon
- Residential buffer
- 500 feet from residentially zoned area
- School/church buffer
- 1,000 feet from church, school, park
- Same-use buffer
- 250 feet from another such establishment
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Middletown requires a Police Chief-issued permit, with a $500 nonrefundable fee and background investigation, before anyone may operate an adult entertainment establishment. Chapter 805 also imposes strict spacing buffers, 500 feet from residential zoning, 1,000 feet from churches, schools, and parks, and 250 feet from another such business, plus a midnight-to-noon closing window.
§ 805.05 PERMIT REQUIRED. ... (a) No person shall own, operate or participate in the operation of an adult entertainment establishment ... unless the owner or person in control of the premises where such establishment shall be located first obtains a valid and current permit for the operation of an adult entertainment establishment. ... § 805.13 RESTRICTIONS ON OPERATION. ... (a) ... Adult entertainment establishment ... s shall close not later than 12:00 midnight and shall not reopen earlier than 12:00 noon. (b) No adult entertainment establishment shall be established and/or operated within a radius of 500 feet of any area where residences are zoned as a permitted use. (c) No adult entertainment establishment shall be established and/or operated within a radius of 1,000 feet of any church, permanently established place of worship, school, hospital, library, public playground or public park. ... (e) (1) No adult entertainment establishment shall be established and/or operated within a radius of 250 feet of another adult entertainment establishment.
Full Breakdown
05(a) makes it unlawful to own, operate, or participate in operating an adult entertainment establishment, or to build or alter any premises for that use, without first obtaining a permit from the Chief of Police. 08, or refers it to the City of Middletown Citizens Advisory Board for a public hearing if grounds for denial exist. A permit is valid for one year and must be prominently displayed. 13 layers on operating restrictions found citywide: an adult entertainment establishment must close by 12:00 midnight and cannot reopen before 12:00 noon; it cannot locate within 500 feet of an area zoned for residences, within 1,000 feet of a church, school, hospital, library, public playground, or public park, or within 250 feet of another adult entertainment establishment, with all distances measured in a straight line between property lines.
Employees must be at least 18, and the operator must file an employee list with the Chief of Police and keep parking areas lit to one foot-candle of illumination from dusk to closing.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a permit is a first-degree misdemeanor under § 805.99(a)(1), punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.00 and up to six months in jail, with each day of operation counted as a separate offense. Violating the chapter while holding, appealing, or operating under a revoked permit carries additional penalties under § 805.99(a)(2).
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can an adult entertainment business be to a school in Middletown?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middletown
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