Sherman, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Business license fee
- $250.00 initial, $125.00 renewal (§ 4.02.006)
- Employee license fee
- $100.00 initial, $50.00 renewal
- Allowed districts
- C-2 and M-1 only
- Buffer from protected uses
- 1,500 feet from churches, schools, parks and similar
- Buffer between such businesses
- 1,500 feet from another sexually oriented business
- Closed hours
- 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday; to noon Sunday
- Civil fine
- $1,000.00 per day without a license or in a barred location
Summary
In the City of Sherman, Texas, a sexually oriented business needs a city license, and every employee needs a separate employee license. The business can operate only in the C-2 and M-1 districts and must sit at least 1,500 feet from churches, schools, residential districts, parks, other such businesses and alcohol-licensed premises.
(a) A person commits a class C criminal misdemeanor if that person operates or causes to be operated a sexually oriented business in any zoning district other than C-2 and M-1, as defined and described in the city zoning code. (b) A person commits a class C criminal misdemeanor offense if the person operates or causes to be operated a sexually oriented business within 1,500 feet of: (1) A church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or building which is used primarily for religious worship and related religious activities; ... (3) A boundary of a residential district as defined in the city zoning code; ... (7) Any premises licensed pursuant to the alcoholic beverage control regulations of the state. (c) A person commits a class C criminal misdemeanor if that person causes or permits the operation, establishment, substantial enlargement, or transfer of ownership or control of a sexually oriented business within 1,500 feet of another sexually oriented business.
Full Breakdown
Article 4.02 of the Sherman Code of Ordinances, adopted by the City Council in 2003, covers adult arcades, bookstores and novelty stores, cabarets, motels, motion picture theaters, theaters, escort agencies, seminude modeling studios and sexual encounter centers. Under § 4.02.004 it is unlawful to run one without a valid license, to employ anyone who lacks an employee license, or to take a job without one. A general business license does not substitute. The notarized application goes to the enforcement officer, who is the city zoning administrator or a person the council designates, and it must include a sketch of the premises drawn to within six inches.
Under § 4.02.005 the officer issues a temporary license on filing and must either grant the license or send a written notice of intent to deny within twenty days. Denial grounds include an applicant under eighteen, unpaid city fees, a false answer, a conviction for a specified criminal activity, or a location outside the permitted zoning. Under § 4.02.006 the business license costs $250.00 initially and $125.00 to renew, and the employee license costs $100.00 initially and $50.00 to renew. Licenses run one year under § 4.02.008 and renewal applications are due at least thirty days before expiry.
Location is governed by § 4.02.013: only C-2 and M-1 districts qualify, a 1,500 foot buffer applies to the listed protected uses and to other sexually oriented businesses, and further areas are closed, including land within 500 feet of U.S. Highways 75 and 82, the central business district, the historical district and Blalock Industrial Park. Distances run in a straight line from the nearest part of the business building to the nearest property line of the protected use. Businesses that predate the rule and fail the location test were allowed one year as a nonconforming use.
Section 4.02.018 bars operation from 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and from 12:00 a.m. to noon on Sundays, except for adult motels.
Violations & Fines
Under § 4.02.020 operating without a valid license, or in violation of the § 4.02.013 location rules, exposes the operator to a suit for a restraining order or injunction and to prosecution for a class C misdemeanor, with the fine set by the general penalty provision in § 1.01.009 and each day counting as a separate offense. The city can also seek a civil fine of $1,000.00 per day. Under § 4.02.009 a license can be suspended for up to thirty days for any violation of the article or for refusing an inspection, and under § 4.02.010 a second cause within twelve months, or knowingly allowing prostitution or controlled substances on site, starts revocation. A revoked licensee is shut out for one year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to work at a sexually oriented business in the City of Sherman, Texas?
How long does Sherman take to decide a license application?
Can I appeal a denial, suspension or revocation?
What happens to a business that was open before the location rules took effect?
Are there rules for private viewing booths?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sherman
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