St. Joseph County, IN Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

03 of the Sexually Oriented Business Ordinance makes it unlawful to conduct, maintain or operate a sexually oriented business in the unincorporated county without a permit from the county auditor. The auditor grants, denies, renews, suspends and revokes permits, the county building department confirms zoning compliance, and the county police department certifies whether the applicant has a disqualifying conviction. The application itself is detailed: it requires the applicant's legal name or corporate structure, disclosure of any prior sexually oriented business permit that was denied, suspended or revoked anywhere, a floor-plan sketch accurate to six inches, and a surveyor's certificate, prepared within 30 days of filing by an Indiana-registered land surveyor, plotting every existing regulated use, religious institution, school, public park and residentially zoned or residential property within 1,000 feet of the site.

05, and can deny for reasons including an under-18 applicant, unpaid county taxes or fines tied to the business, a disqualifying conviction within the last two to five years depending on the offense, or noncompliance with the county zoning ordinance. 09. 35: an elevated stage at least 18 inches high, a ten-foot buffer between performers and patrons, and separate dressing rooms and performer access routes. 99: a scheduled fine per violation, a separate offense for each day it continues, and the county attorney may also seek an injunction.