Yuma, AZ Business Licensing & Operations: Adult Entertainment (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee (business)
- $500 initial, $250 annual renewal
- License fee (employee)
- $200 initial, $100 annual renewal
- Buffer distance
- 1,000 feet from schools, homes, churches, parks
- Allowed zones
- B-1, B-2, L-I, H-I only
- Review period
- 20 days to approve or deny
- Penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine, 10 days jail
Summary
Yuma requires a sexually oriented business license and a separate employee license before anyone may operate or work at an adult business, and zoning code bars any adult oriented business within 1,000 feet of churches, schools, homes, parks, day cares, or another such business.
It is unlawful: (1) For any person to operate a sexually oriented business to employ a person to work for the sexually oriented business who is not licensed as a sexually oriented business employee by the city pursuant to this chapter... The non-refundable initial license fee for a sexually oriented business license is $500 and the annual renewal fee for a sexually oriented business license is $250. Adult oriented businesses may be located in Limited Commercial (B-1), General Commercial (B-2), Light Industrial (L-I) or Heavy Industrial (H-I) Zoning Districts as permitted by the appropriate district regulations of this chapter. However, no adult oriented business shall be located within 1,000 feet of: (a) A church or synagogue or temple; (b) A public or private elementary or secondary school; (c) A residential district; (d) A lot used for a residential use; (e) Another adult oriented business; (f) A public park; or (g) A public or private child day care center, large or small preschool facility.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through May 20, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 75 makes it unlawful to operate a sexually oriented business, or to employ or work at one, without a license issued under this chapter (§ 75-04(A)). Applicants file a notarized application with the Enforcement Officer providing legal names used in the past five years, business address, fingerprints or a Social Security number, proof of age, and any prior licenses held, denied, revoked or suspended elsewhere (§ 75-04(C)). A sexually oriented business application also requires a scaled sketch of the premises and the name of a statutory agent for service of process (§ 75-04(D), (C)(7)).
The Enforcement Officer must approve or issue written notice of intent to deny within 20 days of a complete application, and must deny if the applicant is under 18, delinquent on city taxes or fines tied to a sexually oriented business, has been convicted of a specified criminal activity, or the proposed site sits in a zoning district that does not allow the use or fails the location restrictions of Chapter 154 (§ 75-05(A)). Fees are non-refundable: $500 to open a sexually oriented business, $250 to renew annually, and $200/$100 for an employee license and its renewal (§ 75-06).
10(C), (D)). A business that predates a conflicting encroachment keeps its conforming status, and an operator may seek a variance from the Board of Adjustment under Ordinance No. 10(E)-(G)).
Violations & Fines
Operating, employing, or working at a sexually oriented business without the required license is a class 1 misdemeanor under § 75-99, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to ten days in jail, or both, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense. Locating in a zoning district that does not permit the use, or inside the 1,000-foot buffer, is grounds for outright license denial under § 75-05(A)(7) rather than a fine alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yuma
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