Pharr, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Separation buffer
- 1,000 ft from schools, churches, homes
- Permit authority
- Board of city commissioners
- Owner initial fee
- $3,000 (Hidalgo County resident)
- Penalty
- Class A misdemeanor
- License term
- Expires 12 months
Summary
Running a sexually oriented business in Pharr requires a city license issued through the planning and zoning department and approved by the board of city commissioners, and the establishment must sit at least 1,000 feet from churches, schools, parks, homes, and residential districts.
(a) No sexually oriented business shall be permitted within a 1,000 foot radius measured from the property line of a sexually oriented business to the nearest property line of: (1) A church, chapel, synagogue, mosque, or a place of religious worship; (2) A public or private elementary or secondary school; (3) A boundary of a residential district as defined by the Pharr Zoning Ordinance; (4) A public park; ... (9) Another sexually oriented business. (b) The distance in subsection (a) shall be measured in a straight line without regard to intervening structures or objects.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44).
Full Breakdown
Pharr Code § 26-291 bars any sexually oriented business within a 1,000-foot radius, measured property line to property line in a straight line, of a church or place of worship, a public or private elementary or secondary school, a public park, a hospital, a child care facility, a public library, a residential-use lot, a residential-district boundary, or another such business. Section 26-266 makes owning or operating one without a city-issued license an offense; applications are filed with the planning and zoning department, which reports to the planning and zoning commission and the board of city commissioners for approval. The owner/operator initial fee is $3,000 for Hidalgo County residents and $5,000 if residing over 250 miles away; entertainers and managers each need their own $500 license. Violations are Class A misdemeanors.
Violations & Fines
Owning or operating a sexually oriented business without a Pharr license, or acting as an unlicensed entertainer or manager, is a Class A misdemeanor; the city attorney may also sue to enjoin the business.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a Pharr adult business be from a school or church?
Do dancers and managers need their own licenses in Pharr?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pharr
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hidalgo County handle adult entertainment.