Modesto, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting authority
- Modesto Police Chief
- Spacing from other adult business
- 500 feet (primary entrance)
- Spacing from school/park/church/residential
- 300 feet
- Permit review window
- 30 days from complete application
- Prohibited hours
- Midnight to 8:00 a.m.
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. 3778-C.S., eff. 6-6-24
Summary
Every adult-oriented business in Modesto needs a Police Chief-issued regulatory permit before opening, and new locations must sit at least 500 feet from another adult business and 300 feet from any religious facility, school, park, or residential zone. Operating without a permit is unlawful under Modesto Code of Ordinances § 5-9.103.
(a)All adult-oriented businesses are subject to the adult-oriented business regulatory permit requirements, the adult-oriented business performer permit requirements, the adult-oriented business non-performer permit and/or other permit requirements of this chapter as well as all other applicable ordinances of the City and the laws of the State of California.(b)It shall be unlawful for any person to establish, operate, engage in, conduct, or carry on any adult-oriented business within Modesto unless the person first obtains, and continues to maintain in full force and effect all required permits, including but not limited to an adult-oriented business regulatory permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71).
Full Breakdown
Title 5, Chapter 9 of the Modesto Municipal Code, rewritten by Ordinance No. effective June 6, 2024, requires an adult-oriented business regulatory permit from the Police Chief before anyone may establish, operate, or carry on an adult retail store, adult motion picture theater, adult arcade, adult cabaret, adult modeling studio, or adult hotel/motel in the city. 203(a)(10). The Police Chief has 30 days to investigate and grant or deny the permit, and if the deadline passes without action the applicant may begin operating subject to the operating standards.
5 foot-candles, adult booths cannot be occupied by more than one patron and must remain visible from a staffed manager station with no doors, and live-entertainment venues need a fixed stage at least 18 inches high with a 3-foot barrier, security guards at a ratio of two per 100 patrons, and a minimum 6-foot separation between performers and patrons. 207 for repeated sex-offense convictions on the premises or operating a different activity than permitted. Decisions are appealable to the City Council within 10 days.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult-oriented business without a valid regulatory permit is unlawful under Section 5-9.103(b). Violations expose the owner, operator, or manager to civil remedies including permit revocation, and Section 5-9.209 declares any adult-oriented business operating in violation of the chapter a public nuisance subject to abatement or injunction; each day of continued violation is a separate offense. Section 5-9.209(c) specifically states the City does not impose a criminal penalty for violations of the sexual-conduct provisions, relying instead on civil and nuisance remedies. A revoked permit bars reissuance to the same permittee or a related entity for 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to open an adult bookstore in Modesto?
How far must an adult business be from a school in Modesto?
Can two adult businesses operate next door to each other?
What happens if an adult business operates without the required permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Modesto
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