Springfield, MA Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed districts
- Business A, B, C only
- Permit required
- Tier 3 Special Permit, City Council
- Buffer distance
- 700 feet from protected uses
- Protected uses
- Homes, schools, churches, libraries, parks
- Signage limit
- One wall sign, no flashing lights
Summary
Springfield confines adult entertainment businesses to Business A, B and C districts by City Council Tier 3 Special Permit, and bans them within 700 feet of homes, schools, churches, libraries, parks or another such use.
Uses listed in Section 6.2.30 are allowed by Special Permit in accordance with Tier 3 process described in Section 12.4. in Business A, Business B, and Business C and no other districts... No LOT occupied, or to be occupied, by an ADULT ENTERTAINMENT use shall be located within a seven hundred (700) foot radius from any of the following: A. Any Residential ZONING DISTRICT; B. A BUILDING containing residences; C. A school, place of worship, public library or public park; or D. Any other ADULT ENTERTAINMENT use.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Zoning Ordinance § 6.2.20 limits adult entertainment and sexually oriented businesses -- adult bookstores, cabarets, motion picture theaters, massage parlors and similar uses defined in § 6.2.30 -- to Business A, Business B and Business C districts, each requiring a Tier 3 Special Permit from the City Council. Section 6.2.41 then layers on a 700-foot separation requirement: no such use may sit within 700 feet of a residential zoning district, a building with residences, a school, place of worship, public library or public park, or another adult entertainment use. Distances run property line to property line. Signage is limited to one wall-mounted identification sign with no flashing, rotating or advertising content (§ 6.2.53).
Violations & Fines
Operating outside the permitted districts, without a Special Permit, or inside the 700-foot buffer is a zoning violation: Building Commissioner enforcement, a $100 first-offense fine ($300 per repeat day), and possible injunctive relief (§ 11.1.20).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can an adult entertainment business locate in Springfield?
How far must it be from a school or park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
Compare Springfield to another location·View the Massachusetts business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.