Spalding County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $1,000 (Sec. 6-3003(f))
- Spacing requirement
- 1,000 ft from residential/church/school/park/daycare (Sec. 6-3006(a))
- Licensed hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. (Sec. 6-3006(d))
- Alcohol sales
- Prohibited on premises (Sec. 6-3003(e))
- Application fee
- $300 nonrefundable investigative fee (Sec. 6-3005(a)(2))
- Entertainer permit fee
- $50 (Sec. 6-3006(c)(2))
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 60 days jail (Sec. 6-3008)
Summary
In unincorporated Spalding County, an adult entertainment establishment must hold an annual $1,000 license from the county manager and sit at least 1,000 feet from any residential parcel, church, school, park, daycare, alcohol-licensed premises or another such establishment before it can open its doors.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person, association, partnership, or corporation to operate, engage in, conduct, or carry on, in or upon any premises within the unincorporated area of Spalding County an adult entertainment establishment as defined in this ordinance without an annual license or after any such license has expired or been revoked or suspended. ... (f)License fee. There shall be an annual regulatory fee for each adult entertainment establishment licensed within Spalding County in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). ... (a)Location. No adult entertainment establishment shall be located:(1)On any parcel of land that is within one thousand (1,000) feet of any other parcel of land zoned or used for residential purposes; ... (4)Within one thousand (1,000) feet of any parcel of land upon which another adult entertainment establishment regulated or defined hereunder is located.
Full Breakdown
Spalding County Code Ch. 6, Article 3 makes it unlawful to operate an adult entertainment establishment in the unincorporated area without an annual license issued by the county manager (Sec. 6-3003). The application carries a nonrefundable $300 investigative fee, requires fingerprints and photographs of the operator, and the county manager has 30 days to approve or deny (Sec. 6-3005). No location within 1,000 feet of a residential parcel, church, school, public park, children's daycare facility, an alcohol-licensed premises, or another adult entertainment establishment qualifies (Sec.
6-3006(a)), and a premises holding an alcoholic beverage license cannot also hold this license (Sec. 6-3003(e)). Licensed hours run 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., performers must work from a platform raised at least 18 inches, and every adult entertainer needs a separate $50 permit with a criminal background check (Sec. 6-3006). Renewal applications are due before October 31 each year or a 20 percent late charge applies, and licenses expire December 31 (Sec. 6-3003(g)). An unlicensed operation, or one violating the conduct standards in Sec. 6-3007, is also declared a public nuisance the county can abate through the courts in addition to criminal prosecution (Sec. 6-3009).
Violations & Fines
Knowingly violating the chapter is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, and every day of continued operation counts as a separate offense (Sec. 6-3008). A violation also grounds denial or revocation of the license or an entertainer permit, and the county manager can suspend or revoke an entertainer permit after a hearing before the Board of Commissioners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an adult entertainment establishment sell alcohol in unincorporated Spalding County?
How far must an adult entertainment establishment be from a church or school?
What hours can an adult entertainment establishment operate in unincorporated Spalding County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spalding County
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