North Las Vegas, NV Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Separate license per sexually oriented business location
- Spacing rule
- 1,000 ft from schools, churches, dwellings, parks, etc.
- Measurement
- Entrance-to-entrance, or entrance-to-property-line for schools/parks
- Grandfather clause
- Pre-existing locations exempt from spacing rule
- Also barred nearby
- Liquor- and gambling-licensed buildings within 1,000 ft
- Penalty
- License revocation; fine up to $1,000/6 months under 5.02.460
Summary
North Las Vegas requires a separate City license for every sexually oriented business under NLVMC 5.47.040, and, apart from grandfathered locations, each one must sit at least 1,000 feet from schools, churches, dwellings, hospitals, parks, public buildings, liquor and gambling establishments, and any other sexually oriented business.
No person shall own, operate or conduct a sexually oriented business within the boundaries of the city without first obtaining and thereafter maintaining a valid, unexpired license to operate such sexually oriented business pursuant to this Code. Each and every sexually oriented business must be separately licensed prior to conducting such business. Proximity. Except for those certain grandfathered establishments prior to any consideration for licensing a sexually oriented business, a sexually oriented business license applicant must comply with all appropriate city zoning requirements for sexually oriented businesses, and the applicant must certify that the proposed sexually oriented business will be located a minimum of one thousand (1,000) feet from the following: 1. A child care facility; 2. A church or place of religious worship; 3. A dwelling; 4. A hospital; 5. A school; 6. A public building; 7. A public park; 8. A building where any alcoholic liquor as defined in Chapter 5.26 is distributed; 9. A building where any gambling licensed pursuant to Chapter 5.20 is conducted; and 10. Another sexually oriented business.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 146 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
040(A) makes it unlawful to own, operate or conduct a sexually oriented business within city boundaries without first obtaining and continuously maintaining a valid, unexpired license, and requires each sexually oriented business to be separately licensed. 20, and any other sexually oriented business. The 1,000-foot distance is measured as a straight line from the primary entrance of the protected use to the proposed primary entrance of the sexually oriented business, except for schools and public parks, which are measured in a direct line from the proposed entrance to the property line of the school or park.
010 frames the whole license scheme as a 'privileged business,' finding that sexually oriented activity affects the well-being of the city and requiring careful regulation to ensure operators of honesty and integrity run the business responsibly. 200.
Violations & Fines
Operating a sexually oriented business in North Las Vegas without the Section 5.47.040 license, or at a location within 1,000 feet of a protected use without grandfathered status, violates Chapter 5.47 and is grounds for license denial, suspension or revocation under 5.47.250–.260. NLVMC 5.47.330 makes any criminal penalty for violating the chapter cumulative with those licensing penalties; because Chapter 5.47 sets no separate fine, violations default to NLVMC 5.02.460: up to $1,000 and/or six months in the city detention center.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a sexually oriented business be from a school in North Las Vegas?
Can a sexually oriented business operate near a bar or casino in North Las Vegas?
Does every sexually oriented business in North Las Vegas need its own license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Las Vegas
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How other cities in Clark County handle adult entertainment.