Adams County, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum age
- 21 to enter or work
- Hours allowed
- 4 p.m.-midnight, Mon-Sat
- Residential spacing
- 500 ft buffer
- School/church spacing
- 500 ft buffer
- Fine
- $300 per violation
- Exempt venues
- Liquor-licensed establishments
- Effective date
- January 5, 1988
Summary
Adams County's Nude Entertainment Ordinance bars anyone under 21 from nude entertainment establishments in the unincorporated county, limits nude entertainment to 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday, and bans these venues within 500 feet of residential property, schools or churches; liquor-licensed venues are exempt.
(3) No one under 21 years of age shall be admitted to any Nude Entertainment Establishment. This minimum age limitation also applies to any employees, agents, servants or independent contractors working on the premises during hours when nude entertainment is being presented. (4) Nude entertainment shall only be available at Nude Entertainment Establishments from the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight, Monday through Saturday of each week. (5) No Nude Entertainment Establishment shall be operated or maintained within 500 feet of any residentially zoned or used property, measured from the closest property line of such residential property to the property line of the Nude Entertainment Establishment. (6) No Nude Entertainment Establishment shall be operated or maintained within 500 feet of any school or church property, measured from the closest property line of such school or church property to the property line of the Nude Entertainment Establishment.
Full Breakdown
Ordinance No. 1, adopted November 30, 1987 and effective January 5, 1988, regulates any unincorporated-county establishment open to the public where persons appear in a state of nudity to entertain patrons, defined as exposing the female breast below the top of the areola, pubic hair, anus, buttocks cleft, vulva or genitals. The ordinance exempts liquor-licensed establishments offering nude entertainment because the Colorado Liquor Code already regulates them heavily. No one under 21, including employees, agents, servants or independent contractors, may be admitted while nude entertainment is presented.
to midnight, Monday through Saturday; the schedule does not authorize it on Sunday. Establishments must sit at least 500 feet from the property line of any residentially zoned or used property, and at least 500 feet from any school or church property, both measured property line to property line. An establishment already operating in violation of the spacing rules when the ordinance took effect received a six-month amortization period to relocate or close before facing penalties. Except during that amortization window, each day of operation in violation of the ordinance is a separate offense. § 16-13-302.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision is a class 2 petty offense carrying a $300 fine for each separate violation, assessed through the penalty assessment procedure in C.R.S. § 16-2-201. An arresting officer issues the penalty notice directly, and establishments with repeated or continuing violations can additionally be declared a public nuisance and enjoined by the District Attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a nude entertainment club operate near a residential neighborhood in unincorporated Adams County?
What hours can nude entertainment run?
Does the county's nude entertainment ban apply to strip clubs with a liquor license?
What happens to an existing club that doesn't meet the 500-foot spacing rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Adams County
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