Ascension Parish, LA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Location buffer
- 3,000 feet from homes, schools, churches, libraries
- License fees
- $25 initial + $25 annual renewal, each license
- Prohibited hours
- 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Civil fine
- Up to $500 per day (Sec. 13-161)
- License suspension
- Up to 30 days; revocation up to 1 year
Summary
Ascension Parish keeps sexually oriented businesses at least 3,000 feet from homes, churches, schools, day cares, libraries, and school bus stops under UDC § 17-2049, and separately requires a parish license, background check, and $25.00 fee for every business and employee under Code Chapter 13, Article X. Violating the licensing article draws a civil fine up to $500.00 per day.
D.Location Requirements.1.No sexually-oriented business shall be located as follows:a.Within 3,000 feet of the property line of a private residential dwelling;b.Within 3,000 feet of the property line of any public library;c.Within 3,000 feet of the property line of any church, shrine, chapel, mortuary, or any other place used regularly for religious services;d.Within 3,000 feet of the property line of any school or day care center.
Full Breakdown
Two documents work together here. The Unified Land Development Code's Section 17-2049 sets the zoning-side location rules: no sexually oriented business, defined to include adult bookstores, adult cabarets, adult motels, adult motion picture theaters, and semi-nude model studios, can locate within 3,000 feet of a private residential dwelling, a public library, a church or similar place of regular religious use, a school or day care center, or a regular school-bus stop, and two such businesses generally cannot share a parcel unless 3,000 feet apart. 00 annual renewal for each license type under Section 13-151, plus fingerprinting and background-check costs paid to the Sheriff's Office.
Applicants must disclose any prior conviction for a 'specified criminal activity,' a defined list of sex, obscenity, prostitution, and related drug and money-laundering offenses under Louisiana law, and a conviction within the statutory lookback window is grounds for denial under Section 13-150. , and viewing-room, lighting, and inspection standards apply under Sections 13-159 and 13-160.
Violations & Fines
Knowingly violating the licensing article draws a citation and civil fine of up to $500.00 under Section 13-161, with each day of continued violation a separate offense, and the parish attorney can also seek an injunction. A license can be suspended up to thirty days for a first violation and revoked for one year after two suspensions within twelve months, or for specific misconduct like allowing prostitution or controlled-substance activity on the premises, under Sections 13-154 and 13-155. A business predating the January 1, 2003 effective date that sits inside the UDC's 3,000-foot buffer is treated as a nonconforming use; a new location within the buffer is simply prohibited.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a strip club or adult store be from a house in Ascension Parish?
Does an employee at an adult business need their own license?
What hours can a sexually oriented business operate in Ascension Parish?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ascension Parish
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