Lafayette Parish, LA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- School/library buffer
- 300 feet
- Church/synagogue buffer
- 175 feet
- Adult-use threshold
- 25% of inventory or revenue
- Scope
- City of Lafayette only
- Grandfather rule
- Void once store closes
Summary
The City of Lafayette bans adult bookstores, novelty stores and video stores within 300 feet of schools, daycares, libraries and playgrounds, and within 175 feet of any church or synagogue; existing stores keep nonconforming status until they close.
This section only applies in the City of Lafayette. ... Adult novelty stores, adult bookstores or adult video stores shall be prohibited from operating within a distance of 300 feet of any nursery school, daycare, public library, public playground or school (except business colleges, business schools or the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). ... Adult novelty stores, adult bookstores or adult video stores shall be prohibited from operating within a distance of 175 feet of any church or synagogue.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Lafayette City-Parish Code § 18-3 defines an adult bookstore, novelty store or video store as a business where 25 percent or more of its inventory, revenue, or floor space is devoted to sexually explicit media or genital-stimulation devices. The rule bars operating within 300 feet of a nursery school, daycare, public library, playground or school other than a business college or UL Lafayette, and within 175 feet of a church or synagogue. A store predating a protected use keeps nonconforming status, but loses it for good once it closes. Violation is a misdemeanor under Sec. 1-9. The rule applies only inside Lafayette city limits, not the unincorporated parish or Broussard, Carencro, Duson, Scott, Youngsville or Milton.
Violations & Fines
Violation is a misdemeanor under Sec. 1-9, the code's general penalty provision; losing nonconforming status is permanent once the store closes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply outside Lafayette city limits?
Can an existing adult store stay open if a school moves in nearby?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lafayette Parish
Compare Lafayette Parish to another location·View the Louisiana business licensing & operations overview
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