Milton, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning mechanism
- Case-by-case AO rezoning only
- Minimum lot area
- 1 acre
- Setbacks, all sides
- 30 feet
- Max building height
- 35 feet
- Parking ratio
- 1 space per 400 sq ft
- Governing section
- Sec. 78-02.62
Summary
The City of Milton confines adult-oriented entertainment to a dedicated (AO) zoning district that the common council creates only case by case at a property owner's request, requiring a 1-acre lot and 30-foot setbacks on every side under Chapter 78.
Sec. 78-02.62. - (AO) Adult-Oriented Entertainment Zoning District. ... (1)Intent. This district is intended to permit adult uses associated with significant impacts on neighboring properties, particularly related to hours of operation, establishment functions, and other potential nuisances for adjoining properties. The city will consider the use of this zoning district on a case-by-case basis at the request of a property owner. ... Minimum Lot Area 1 acre
M ... inimum Front Setback 30 feet Minimum S ... ide Setback 30 feet Minimum Rear Setback 30 feet Maximum Principal Building Height 35 feet
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Milton does not license adult businesses citywide by right; it channels them into a single-purpose zoning district. Sec. " That means a business cannot simply locate in an existing commercial district; the property must first be rezoned to AO through the zoning-map-amendment process in Sec. 30. Once rezoned, the district's own bulk table demands a minimum 1-acre lot, a minimum 100-foot lot width and 100-foot frontage, and 30-foot setbacks on the front, side, corner-street-side and rear lot lines, with principal buildings capped at 35 feet.
An adult-oriented entertainment business also carries its own off-street parking ratio under Sec. 25 spaces per 400 square feet if the minimum falls short elsewhere in the code's maximum-parking column. The AO district additionally sits at the high end of Milton's bufferyard-opacity table, requiring the heaviest screening of any commercial district when it borders single- or two-family residential zoning.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult-oriented entertainment business outside an approved (AO) district, or without meeting its lot and setback standards, is a Chapter 78 violation. The zoning administrator can issue a correction demand under Sec. 78-10.60 and refer noncompliance to the city attorney; Sec. 1-14 sets forfeitures at $50.00 to $500.00 for a first offense and $100.00 to $1,000.00 for a repeat offense, with jail time in default of payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can an adult entertainment business open in the City of Milton?
What lot size does an adult business need in Milton?
How much parking does Milton require for an adult-oriented business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Milton
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