Valencia County, NM Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning district allowed
- C-2 Community Commercial only
- Distance from other adult use
- 2,000 feet minimum
- Distance from residential use
- 1,000 feet minimum
- Distance from church or school
- 2,000 feet minimum
- Application type
- Type B conditional use, § 154.076
- Maximum penalty
- $300 fine, 90 days jail per day
Summary
In unincorporated Valencia County, adult amusement or entertainment establishments, including adult bookstores, theaters, video arcades and body oil or lotion demonstration parlors, are allowed only as a conditional use in the Community Commercial (C-2) District. County Code § 154.121(C)(1) sets fixed distance separations from other adult uses, from residential neighborhoods, and from any church or school before the county's Type B conditional-use review can approve the site.
(1) Adult amusement/entertainment establishment, including, but not limited to, adult bookstore, adult theater, adult video rental and arcade, provided: (a) The use is located at least 2,000 from another adult amusement establishment, adult bookstore, adult photo amusement establishment, adult photo studio, adult theater, adult video arcade, and adult body oil or lotion demonstration parlors; (b) The use is located at least 1,000 feet from the nearest conforming residential use; and (c) The use is located at least 2,000 feet from any church or school.
Full Breakdown
121(C)(1). Three spacing rules apply before the Planning and Zoning Department can process an application: the site must sit at least 2,000 feet from another adult amusement or entertainment use, at least 1,000 feet from the nearest conforming residential use, and at least 2,000 feet from any church or school. 040 that govern lighting, screening and buffering for every conditional use in the district. 121(D), which bars any use not specifically mentioned in the section and not allowed as a similar use. 059. The Planning and Zoning Department administers the district and the Board of County Commissioners hears any appeal of a Type B decision.
Staff must verify the 2,000-foot and 1,000-foot distances against every other qualifying adult use, church, school and residence within range before a conditional-use permit can issue.
Violations & Fines
Operating an adult amusement or entertainment establishment in Valencia County without the required C-2 conditional-use approval, or short of the spacing distances in § 154.121(C)(1), is a zoning violation under § 154.999. Each day a violation continues is a separate petty misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $300, up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, and the county may also pursue a civil action to abate the use as a nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can an adult entertainment business locate in unincorporated Valencia County?
How far must an adult business be from a school or church?
What happens if an adult business does not meet the spacing rule?
What is the penalty for operating without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Valencia County
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