Harford County, MD Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Under Chapter 58 of the Harford County Code, nobody may operate an adult bookstore in the county without a license from the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits (Section 58-2A). An applicant must be at least 18, hold a valid Maryland trader's license, submit a site plan showing compliance with the location rules, a state retail sales tax ID, a Maryland State Police criminal background check, and a nonrefundable $200 license and application fee (Section 58-2B). The Department must act on a completed application within 45 calendar days, after routing it to the Health Department for a compliance inspection (Section 58-3A through C).

A license runs for one year and renews annually for a further $200 fee plus a fresh background check (Section 58-4). Licenses cannot be transferred and are valid only for the address on the license (Section 58-5). Section 58-9 sets the spacing rule: an adult bookstore cannot operate within 1,000 feet of a house of worship, a public or private elementary or secondary school, a public park, a licensed or registered child care home or institution, or a lot devoted to residential use, measured in a straight line from the closest building wall to the nearest property line of the protected use (Section 58-9A, C).

A bookstore also cannot open, or substantially enlarge by more than 25% of its 1992 floor area, within 1,000 feet of another adult bookstore (Section 58-9B, and the definition of substantially enlarge in Section 58-1). A store already lawfully open on January 31, 1992 and continuously operating since is grandfathered from the spacing rule (Section 58-9E). Appeals of a denial, suspension or revocation go to the Circuit Court for Harford County (Section 58-10).