Rohnert Park, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Chapter 8.37, Adult Business Permit, requires any adult arcade, cabaret, model studio, store or theater to obtain a city permit before opening. Section 8.37.030 states that no person may establish or operate an adult business within the city without first obtaining, and continuing to maintain in full force and effect, an adult business permit and a business license from the city, and specifically notes that holding some other state or city license does not excuse that requirement. The director of development services reviews the application within thirty days under § 8.37.050, checking for material misstatements, disqualifying criminal history within the past three years, and compliance with the applicable zoning district.

That zoning tie is explicit: § 8.37.060(A)(1) makes Zoning Compliance a development standard, requiring the building housing the adult business to meet all applicable setbacks and parking requirements of the applicable zoning district before a permit issues. Operational standards layer on top of the zoning fit, including a curfew under § 8.37.060(B)(1) that bars any adult business from operating between the hours of midnight to ten a.m., minimum lighting levels for retail, theater, arcade and modeling-studio spaces, mandatory security guards for businesses featuring live entertainment, and a flat ban on anyone under eighteen entering the premises. A granted permit under § 8.37.080 is valid for only one year and must be renewed annually, and the director can revoke it under § 8.37.110 for a disqualifying conviction, a code violation that continues for more than ten days after notice, or knowingly allowing prostitution or drug activity on site. Chapter 8.37 treats a violation as civil rather than criminal: § 8.37.140(C) states the city does not impose a criminal penalty for violations of this chapter related to expressive activities, pursuing permit revocation and public-nuisance abatement instead.