Richland County, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Application decision deadline
- 30 calendar days
- Minimum operator age
- 18 years
- Disqualifying conviction lookback
- 5 years
- Zoning/fire/health review window
- 30 days, deemed approved if silent
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 30 days jail
Summary
Richland County requires a business license specific to sexually oriented businesses, with a mandatory pre-application check by zoning, fire, building and health officials and automatic disqualification for operators under 18 or convicted of specified sex crimes within five years. The License Official must approve or deny the application within 30 calendar days.
(6) The License Official shall approve or deny an application for a license for a Sexually Oriented Business within thirty calendar days (30) from the date of receipt of the application. If the License Official fails to either approve or deny the application within thirty calendar days, then the application shall be deemed approved and business activity may begin or continue immediately, notwithstanding the fact that no license has been issued. (7) In addition to the reasons for denial of a license set forth in Section 16-15 of this article, the License Official shall deny a business license to an applicant for a Sexually Oriented Business if the applicant or an agent of such applicant who has or will have actual authority to control and manage the business proposed to be operated: (a) is under the age of eighteen;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-24: This supplement is current through Ordinance No. 033-25HR).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-17 regulates sexually oriented businesses to address documented secondary effects such as prostitution and public indecency, while stating the ordinance does not restrict First Amendment-protected access to lawful adult material. No license may issue to a corporation, association or trade name without the responsible officers identifying themselves and accepting individual responsibility for compliance (Sec. 16-17(3)). Before licensing, the applicant must obtain the same pre-application compliance documentation other businesses submit under Sec. 16-6(5), but the License Official also circulates the compliance form to zoning, fire, building and health officials, who have 30 days to respond; if no response arrives, that particular compliance determination is deemed approved (Sec.
16-17(4)). The License Official must approve or deny within 30 calendar days of receipt, and if that deadline passes without action, the application is deemed approved and business may begin immediately even without an issued license (Sec. 16-17(6)). Beyond the standard denial grounds in Sec. 16-15, the County must deny a license if the applicant or controlling agent is under 18, or was convicted, pled guilty, or pled nolo contendere within the last five years to specified South Carolina sex crimes including §§ 16-15-90, 16-15-305, 16-15-325 and related statutes, or the equivalent offense elsewhere (Sec.
16-17(7)). Applicants must complete a sworn, notarized qualification statement, and owners must keep a current list of contractors' names with photo ID copies on file (Sec. 16-17(8), (9)).
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of the sexually oriented business article is a misdemeanor under the Code's general penalty section, carrying a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of violation a separate offense (Sec. 16-22(a), Sec. 1-8). The License Official may revoke a license for fraud, misrepresentation, a bad check, breach of a license condition, or a court finding of public nuisance, after written notice and a hearing before the Business Service Center Appeals Board within 30 days (Sec. 16-18).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Richland County have to act on a sexually oriented business license?
What disqualifies someone from getting this license?
Can a pending sexually oriented business keep operating while its application is reviewed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richland County
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