DeKalb County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Yes, county-issued
- Spacing from other AE uses
- 1,000 feet minimum
- Spacing from residential zones
- 1,000 feet minimum
- Spacing from schools/churches/parks
- 1,000 feet minimum
Summary
DeKalb County requires a county license for adult entertainment establishments and keeps them at least 1,000 feet from other such businesses, schools, churches, parks and residential districts.
It shall be unlawful for any person, association, partnership, corporation, or other business entity, to engage in, operate, conduct or carry on, in or upon any premises, an adult entertainment establishment without first having complied with the provisions of this article, or without a currently valid DeKalb County license for the operation of an adult entertainment establishment. No license issued hereunder shall condone or make legal any activity thereunder if the same is deemed illegal or unlawful under the laws of the State of Georgia or the United States or under any other ordinance, rule or regulation of DeKalb County. The license shall be conspicuously displayed at all times within the premises.
(Ord. No. 94-02, § 2, 2-8-94)
Full Breakdown
Sec. 15-404 makes it unlawful to operate an adult entertainment establishment without a valid DeKalb County license, and the license must stay conspicuously posted. Sec. 15-403 layers on 1,000-foot separation from other adult businesses, from R/RM residential zones, and from governmental facilities, churches, residences, parks, libraries, schools and colleges, measured property-line to property-line. This licensing scheme applies to the unincorporated county; incorporated cities within DeKalb regulate these businesses separately.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license, or within the prohibited distances, is grounds for license denial, suspension or revocation under the article's enforcement provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must an adult business be from a school?
Does the county license cover businesses in Decatur or Brookhaven?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeKalb County
Compare DeKalb County to another location·View the Georgia business licensing & operations overview
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