Reno, NV Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning
- Permitted only in I, IC, ME districts
- Sensitive-use buffer
- 750 ft from homes, schools, parks
- Business spacing
- 500 ft from other adult businesses
- License
- City license + FBI background check
- Hours
- Capped at 17 hours per day
Summary
Reno confines adult businesses to the I, IC, and ME zoning districts and requires 750 feet from residential zones, schools, and parks, plus 500 feet between adult businesses.
Adult businesses, as defined in 18.09 Article 3 may be located in the I, IC and ME Districts provided they comply with all of the following: ... No adult business may be located within 750 feet of any: [a]Residentially zoned district; [b]Public or private university, college, or school; [c]Preschool or childcare facility licensed by the Washoe County Social Services Department; or [d]Park or playground... No adult business may be located within 500 feet of any other adult business.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Administrative Code: Supplement 64 | Land Development Code: Supplement 5 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Reno's zoning code confines adult businesses to the Industrial (I), Industrial Commercial (IC), and Mixed-Use Employment (ME) districts under RMC § 18.03.304(f)(1)c, and bars them from Redevelopment Areas 1 and 2, from parcels abutting a freeway or arterial street, from within 750 feet of any residentially zoned district, school, licensed preschool or childcare facility, or park/playground, and within 500 feet of another adult business. Separately, RMC Chapter 5.06 requires every adult interactive cabaret to hold a city business license backed by an FBI fingerprint background check, caps operating hours at 17 per day absent a conditional use permit, and mandates continuous recorded video monitoring of performance areas.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult business outside the I, IC, or ME districts, inside a buffer zone, or without the required city license violates RMC Title 4, Chapter 5.06, and § 18.03.304; each day of violation is treated as a separate offense and can trigger license suspension or revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an adult business open anywhere in Reno?
Does Reno require a special license for strip clubs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Reno
Compare Reno to another location·View the Nevada business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.