Prince William County, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Chapter 20, Article III defines "adult business" broadly in Sec. 20-50 to include an adult bookstore, video store, model studio, motel, movie theater, nightclub or store, along with "any other establishment that regularly exploits an interest" in specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas, and separately defines those terms down to specific body areas and acts. Sec. 00 fee per location, submitting identifying information, a criminal history disclosure, fingerprints, a photograph, and a description of the entertainment offered; a 10-percent-or-greater owner, partner or corporate officer counts as an "applicant" who must be disclosed.

The chief has 30 days to act, extendable another 30 days if outside agency records are pending, and the application is deemed approved if no denial issues within that window. Sec. 20-51(e) requires denial if the applicant has a sex-offense registry conviction within ten years, a homicide, robbery or malicious wounding conviction within ten years, any felony within five years, an obscenity-law conviction within three years, or a permit denial or revocation within the past 12 months under a similar ordinance. 00 fee under Sec.

20-51(g). Sec. 20-52 lets the chief revoke a permit for fraud in the application, a post-issuance felony or obscenity conviction, knowingly allowing drug possession, prostitution or specified sexual conduct on the premises, or operating outside the approved permit, and Sec. 20-53 gives the permittee ten days to request a hearing before a denial or revocation becomes final, with prompt judicial review available in circuit court under Sec. 20-54.