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Montgomery County, MD Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Minimum buffer distance
750 feet from residential/school/park/worship uses
Allowed operating hours
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. only
Minor access
Prohibited under age 18
Booth design
No doors, curtains, or holes between booths
Excluded municipalities
Rockville, Gaithersburg, Poolesville, others self-zone

Summary

Adult entertainment businesses in Montgomery County must sit 750 feet from homes, schools, and parks, and can only operate 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

City-specific rules exist: Gaithersburg, and Rockville have their own adult entertainment rules that differ from Montgomery County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

The Adult Entertainment business must be located a minimum of 750 feet from any property that is

i.   located in a Residential zone; or

ii.   on which a school, library, park, playground, recreational facility, day care center, place of worship, or other Adult Entertainment business is located as a principal use. The distance must be measured in a straight line from the nearest lot line of the subject property to the nearest point of the boundary line of any property located in a Residential zone, or on which a school, library, park, playground, recreational facility, day care center, place of worship or other Adult Entertainment business is located.

d.   An Adult Entertainment business may continue as a nonconforming use if a school, library, park, playground, recreational facility, day care center, place of worship, or Agricultural or Residential zone is established within 750 feet of the Adult Entertainment business after the business was established.

e.   An Adult Entertainment business may operate only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.

f.   If adult booths are located on the premises:

i.   The booths must be physically arranged so that the entire interior portion of the booth is visible from the common areas of the premises;

ii.   Doors or curtains that screen the booth’s interior from the common areas of the premises are prohibited;

iii.   The booths must be designed to prevent physical contact with another person;

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-90: Montgomery County Code contains legislation effective through May 7, 2026 | Zoning Updated Effective: April 13, 2026 | COMCOR Regulations effective as of July 1, 2026).

Full Breakdown

Montgomery County's zoning code defines Adult Entertainment by floor-area, nudity, or licensing criteria and regulates it as a limited or conditional use. An Adult Entertainment business must locate at least 750 feet from any Residential-zoned property, school, library, park, playground, recreational facility, day care center, place of worship, or another Adult Entertainment business, measured lot-line to lot-line. Materials can't be visible from outside, minors are barred from the premises and viewing areas, and operating hours are capped at 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Adult booths must stay open to view with no doors, curtains, or holes between them. This chapter does not apply within Brookeville, Poolesville, Laytonsville, Rockville, Barnesville, Gaithersburg, or Washington Grove, which zone themselves.

Violations & Fines

Zoning enforcement can order the use discontinued or deny/revoke site plan approval; operating outside 9 a.m.-11 p.m. or within the 750-foot buffer is a zoning violation subject to county enforcement action.

Frequently Asked Questions

How close can an adult business be to a school or park in Montgomery County?
No closer than 750 feet, measured in a straight line from the nearest lot lines, under Zoning Ordinance Section 3.5.10.A.
What hours can an adult entertainment business operate?
Only between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.; operating outside those hours violates the zoning use standards.
Does this rule apply inside Rockville or Gaithersburg?
No. Chapter 59 does not apply in Rockville, Gaithersburg, Poolesville, Laytonsville, Barnesville, Brookeville, or Washington Grove, which have their own zoning.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Montgomery County

All Montgomery County rules

Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Maryland business licensing & operations overview

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Adult Entertainment in Cities Across Montgomery County