Seattle, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SMC Chapter 6.270 Adult Entertainment
- Premises license fee
- $905.00 per year
- Entertainer license fee
- $170.00 per year
- Manager license fee
- $216.00 per year
- Prohibited hours
- 2:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
- Minimum age
- 18, for patrons and licensees
- License issuer
- Director of Finance & Administrative Services
Summary
Operating an adult entertainment premises in Seattle without a license from the Director of Finance and Administrative Services is unlawful under SMC 6.270.040, and every entertainer and manager needs a separate license too. Premises licenses cost $905 a year, entertainers $170, managers $216, and no one under 18 may enter or work such a venue.
A.It is unlawful for any person to operate or maintain an adult entertainment premises in The City of Seattle unless the owner, operator or lessee thereof has obtained from the Director of Finance and Administrative Services a license to do so, to be designated an "adult entertainment premises license."B.It is unlawful for any entertainer, employee or manager to knowingly work in or about, or to knowingly perform any service or entertainment directly related to the operation of, an unlicensed adult entertainment premises.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
270 creates a three-tier local licensing scheme for Seattle's adult entertainment industry. 040 makes it unlawful for any owner, operator, or lessee to run an adult entertainment premises without an 'adult entertainment premises license' from the Director of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS), and bars entertainers, employees, or managers from knowingly working at an unlicensed premises. 00 for a manager's license, subject to annual Director's-Rule cost-recovery adjustment. 090 gives FAS 30 days to issue or deny a premises license (three business days for entertainer/manager licenses) or the license is deemed issued.
100 imposes detailed conduct standards: entertainers must perform at least 18 inches above floor level and 6 feet from patrons, touching between entertainers and patrons is barred, and a City-mandated warning sign must be posted. m. 140 prohibits anyone under 18 from entering a licensed premises at all, with acceptable ID limited to government photo identification.
Violations & Fines
SMC 6.270.100(F) and 6.270.110(D) make it unlawful to violate the chapter's conduct, posting, or recordkeeping standards. FAS may suspend or revoke a premises license under SMC 6.270.150 for cause, and a new license application is barred for one year after a final revocation or suspension order under SMC 6.270.090. Operating outside licensed hours or admitting a minor under SMC 6.270.130-.140 is independently unlawful.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle adult entertainment.