Tulsa, OK Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Director of Finance, all sexually oriented businesses
- Annual fee
- $400 general, $500 arcades
- Location rule
- Zoning/spacing under Title 42, Ch. 7
- Max penalty
- $500 fine + 90 days jail/day
- License expires
- August 31 each year
Summary
Tulsa requires a City license for every sexually oriented business and confines them to zoning-approved locations meeting Title 42 spacing rules, with annual license fees up to $500.
A person commits an offense if he operates or causes to be operated a sexually oriented business without a valid license issued by the City for the particular type of business. ... Sexually oriented businesses shall be located only in accordance with the zoning and spacing requirements of the Zoning Code, Title 42, Tulsa Revised Ordinances, Chapter 7.
Full Breakdown
Under Title 21, Chapter 17, operating a sexually oriented business (adult bookstore, arcade, motion picture theater, motel, model studio, sexual encounter center, or adult entertainment venue) without a City license is a criminal offense. The Director of Finance issues licenses unless the Chief of Police finds disqualifying facts, including sex-crime or prostitution-related convictions within statutory look-back periods. Annual fees run $400, or $500 for adult motion picture arcades, which face added interior-configuration and lighting rules under § 1714. Location is restricted to the zoning and spacing requirements set out in the Tulsa Zoning Code, Title 42, Chapter 7. The Chief of Police can recommend suspension or revocation for code violations, gambling, prostitution, or drug activity on the premises, with appeal to a hearing officer and then City Council.
Violations & Fines
Operating unlicensed, or violating the chapter, is a criminal offense: up to a $500 fine and/or 90 days in City jail, with each day a separate offense; the City may also seek an injunction, and licenses can be suspended or revoked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a strip club open anywhere in Tulsa?
What disqualifies a Tulsa adult business license applicant?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tulsa
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Adult Entertainment in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle adult entertainment.