Business Licensing & Operations in Lee County, NC (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Lee County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Unincorporated Lee County treats sexually oriented businesses as a special-use-permit use under UDO section 5.2. An adult establishment cannot sit within 1,000 feet of a residential zoning district, within 2,000 feet of a church, school, day care, dwelling, ABC-licensed business or public park, or within 2,000 feet of another adult establishment. No such business may open without an approved special use permit.
Lee County Adult Establishment Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsLee County Unified Development Ordinance § 5.2.2.2, § 5.2.3.1
5.2.2.2.Adult establishments shall not be located:(a)Within 1,000 feet of a residential zoning district. ... (b)Within 2,000 feet of any church or other place of worship, elementary or secondary school, day care facility, dwelling unit, establishment with an on-premise North Carolina ABC license, or public park that exists or has been permitted at the time the application for approval of the se...
Massage Establishments
No one may operate a massage parlor or work as a massagist in unincorporated Lee County without a sheriff-issued license, which requires fingerprinting and an annual renewal fee, and parlors may only open between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Lee County Massage Establishment License
Significant RestrictionsLee County Code §§ 8-61, 8-62, 8-63, 8-37(b)
Sec. 8-61. - Required. A person may not work as a massagist nor operate a massage parlor, unless licensed. ... Sec. 8-62. - Fingerprinting required. An applicant for a license shall submit to fingerprinting. ... Sec. 8-63. - Issuance; fee required. The sheriff shall issue licenses to any eligible persons who pay an annual fee in an amount set from time to time by the board for a massagist's lic...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Lee County has no standalone tattoo or body-art licensing ordinance. Regulation runs entirely through the Unified Development Ordinance's permitted-use table, which allows tattoo parlors and body piercing studios by right only in five commercial and industrial zoning districts and sets their off-street parking ratio.
Lee County Tattoo Parlor Zoning Rules
Significant RestrictionsLee County Unified Development Ordinance § 4.6, Table 4.6-1; § 8.3, Table 8-1
Key: "P" means permitted as of right, "S" means permitted as a special use, "D" means development regulations apply (see Article 5), "A" means permitted only as an accessory use, "-" means prohibited. ... RA Residential Agricultural RR Restricted Residential R-20 Residential Single-Family R-14 Residential Single-Family R-12SF Residential Single-Family R-12 Residential Mixed R-10 Residential Mix...
All Lee County ordinances
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