Outagamie County, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Adult uses per parcel
- one maximum
- Spacing between adult uses
- 1,500 feet
- Buffer from homes/churches/schools
- 2,000 feet
- Allowed zone
- CL local commercial district only
Summary
Outagamie County limits adult entertainment businesses to one per parcel, 1,500 feet apart, and 2,000 feet from homes, churches or schools in its CL commercial district.
(c)Adult entertainment. General standards for adult entertainment are as follows:(1)No more than one of the uses in subsection (b) of this section may be established on any one parcel and the establishment of any one of the adult uses set forth in subsection (b) of this section shall be at least 1,500 feet from the establishment of any other adult use. No adult use shall be permitted within 2,000 feet of any land used or zoned for residential purposes or within 2,000 feet of any church or school.(2)Signs advertising any of the above adult uses shall conform with section 54-359, with the following exceptions: no tower, portable signs or billboards shall be permitted on the premises; signs shall not depict specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas and there shall be no flashing or traveling lights located outside the building.(3)Adequate parking shall be provided in a lighted area.(4)There shall be no display windows on the premises.(5)The owner and operator of the adult entertainment establishment shall agree to comply with all state, federal and local laws and ordinances, including obscenity, liquor and cabaret laws, and shall further ensure that minors are not permitted on the premises. Solicitation for purposes of prostitution shall be strictly prohibited.(6)The hours of operation for such establishments shall be limited to the same hours of operations for bars and taverns within the community in which the district is located.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26).
Full Breakdown
Outagamie County treats adult bookstores, cabarets, adult motion picture theaters, bathhouses, massage parlors, modeling and body-painting studios as special exception uses confined to the CL local commercial district under Sec. 54-235(b)(14). Sec. 54-235(c) then layers on spacing and operating rules: only one adult use per parcel, adult uses must sit at least 1,500 feet from each other, and none may operate within 2,000 feet of a residence, church or school. Signs can't depict sexual content or use flashing lights, display windows are barred, and operating hours track local bar and tavern hours. These rules apply only within unincorporated Outagamie County; Appleton and the county's other cities zone adult businesses under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult use without the required special exception, spacing or signage compliance is a zoning violation; Sec. 1-14(b) sets forfeitures of $150 first offense, $300 for later offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can an adult business operate in Outagamie County?
Can two adult businesses sit next to each other?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Outagamie County
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