For AI agents: read the machine-readable documentation index at /llms.txt or the single-file full reference at /llms-full.txt.
Form a Business

PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

Jacksonville Ordinance Code tit. VI, ch. 150, pt. 6
in effect

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 150.601 Legislative authorization.

Sec. 150.601. - Legislative authorization. This Part is enacted in the interest of the public health, peace, safety, morals and general welfare of the citizens and inhabitants of Duval County, Florida, pursuant to Fla. Const. Article VIII, § 1(f) and F.S. § 125.01(1)(o) and (w), and under the authority of the County to regulate the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, pursuant to the Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. (Ord. 87-270-186, § 1; Ord. 94-190-651, § 1)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 150.602 Area of enforcement.

Sec. 150.602. - Area of enforcement. The Council is acting herein as the governing body for Duval County, Florida, and this Part shall be effective within the boundaries of Duval County, Florida, except where in conflict with an ordinance of a government created or recognized in the Charter of the City. (Ord. 87-270-186, § 1; Ord. 94-190-651, § 1)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 150.603 Findings of fact.

Sec. 150.603. - Findings of fact. The Council finds that: (a) There is presently in Duval County an increasing trend toward nude and seminude acts, exhibitions and entertainment, and toward the utilization of nude and seminude employees engaged in other service-oriented aspects of and by the commercial establishments subject hereto. (b) The competitive commercial exploitation of such nudity and seminudity is adverse to the public's interest in the quality of life, tone of commerce and total community environment in Duval County. (c) The commercial exploitation of nudity and seminudity consists of the use of nude and seminude entertainment in connection with or for the promotion of the sale of goods or services, and the receipt of money by the person engaging in nude or seminude entertainment in exchange for or as consideration for a nude or seminude performance by such individual. (d) The commercial exploitation of nude and seminude acts, exhibitions and entertainment frequently occurs in commercial establishments either selling or allowing consumption of alcoholic beverages on the premises. (e) There is a direct relationship between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the nude and seminude activities mentioned above, prohibited hereunder, and more fully described hereinafter and an increase in criminal activities, moral degradation, and disturbances of the peace and good order of the community, and the concurrency of these activities is hazardous to the health and safety of those persons in attendance, and tends to depreciate the value of adjoining property and harm the economic welfare of the community as a whole. (f) The combination of the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages with the performance of nude and seminude acts, exhibitions and entertainment is adverse to the public's interest in the quality of life, tone of commerce and total community environment in Duval County. (g) In order to preserve the public peace and good order, and to safeguard the health, safety, morals and welfare of the community and citizens thereof, it is necessary and advisable to prohibit nude and seminude acts, exhibitions and entertainment in commercial establishments at which alcoholic beverages are, or are available to be sold or consumed. (h) In order to preserve the public peace and good order, and to safeguard the health, safety, morals and welfare of the community and citizens thereof, it is necessary and advisable to regulate and restrict the conduct of owners, operators, agents, employees, entertainers, performers, patrons, spectators and persons on the premises of the commercial establishments subject hereto. (Ord. 87-270-186, § 1; Ord. 94-190-651, § 1)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 150.604 Intent of Part.

Sec. 150.604. - Intent of Part. The intent of the Council acting as the governing body of Duval County, Florida, in adopting this Part is: (a) To prohibit nude and seminude entertainment, as defined, in commercial establishments at which alcoholic beverages, beer or wine is, or is available to be, sold, dispensed or consumed; (b) To prohibit the commercial advertisement, promotion and exploitation of nude and seminude entertainment, as defined, in commercial establishments at which alcoholic beverages, beer or wine is, or is available to be, sold, dispensed or consumed; and (c) To proscribe conduct and activities which encourage the competitive commercial exploitation of nude and seminude entertainment in commercial establishments at which alcoholic beverages, beer or wine is, or is available to be, sold, dispensed or consumed. (Ord. 87-270-186, § 1; Ord. 94-190-651, § 1)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 150.605 Definitions.

Sec. 150.605. - Definitions. Except for subsection (e) of this Section, the following definitions shall apply in this Chapter; the definition in subsection (e) of this Section shall apply to this Part: (a) Advertisement means a display, notice or other information designed to attract public attention, including but not limited to, handbills, signs, billboards, soundtracks, placards, signboards and written notices. (b) Alcoholic beverage means all beverages containing more than one percent of alcohol by weight, including beer and wine. (c) Commercial means operated for pecuniary gain, which shall be presumed for any establishment which has received an occupational license. For purposes of this Part, operating for pecuniary gain shall not depend on actual profit or loss. (d) Establishment means a physical plant or location, or the commercial activities or operations being conducted, or both together, as the context of this Part may require. (e) Nude or seminude entertainment consists of the following: (1) The actual or simulated displaying of the genitals, vulva, pubic area, anus or anal cleft or cleavage. (2) The actual or simulated displaying by a female of the area of the human breast at or below the areola. (f) Premises means a physical plant or location, which is enclosed by walls or any other enclosing structural device, or which is covered by a single roof or with a single shared entrance, if not covered by a single roof, and shall include any structure, structures or land, or contiguous structures or land, within 300 feet of the physical plant or location where such structures or land and the physical plant or location are under common ownership, control or possession. (g) Simulated display means the use of any covering, tape, pasty, latex spray or paint, or other device which simulates or otherwise gives the appearance of the display or exposure of any of the anatomical areas listed in the definition contained in subsection (e) of this Section. (Ord. 87-270-186, § 1; Ord. 94-190-651, § 1; Ord. 2003-755-E, § 6; Ord. 2006-1127-E, § 5)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 150.606 Prohibition.

Sec. 150.606. - Prohibition. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in nude or seminude entertainment in any commercial establishment at which alcoholic beverages are, or are available to be, sold, dispensed, consumed, possessed or offered for sale or consumption on the premises. (b) It shall be unlawful for any female person, while on the premises of a commercial establishment at which alcoholic beverages are, or are available to be, sold, dispensed, consumed, possessed or offered for sale or consumption on the premises, to expose to public view that area of the human female breast at or below the areola thereof or to employ any device or covering which is intended to give the appearance of or simulate such areas of the female breast as described herein. (c) It shall be unlawful for any person, while on the premises of a commercial establishment at which alcoholic beverages are, or are available to be, sold, dispensed, consumed, possessed or offered for sale or consumption on the premises, to expose to public view his or her genitals, pubic area, anus or anal cleft or cleavage or to employ any device or covering which is intended to give the appearance of or simulate the genitals, pubic area, anus or anal cleft or cleavage. (d) It shall be unlawful for any person owning, maintaining, operating or leasing any commercial establishment at which alcoholic beverages are, or are available to be, sold, dispensed, consumed, possessed or offered for sale or consumption on the premises to suffer or permit any person on the premises to engage in nude or seminude entertainment. (e) It shall be unlawful for any entertainer, performer or employee, while on the premises of a commercial establishment regulated under this Part, to dance in such a manner as to simulate sexual activity with any patron, spectator, employee or other person not employed therein. (f) It shall be unlawful for any entertainer, performer or employee, while on the premises of a commercial establishment regulated under this Part, to sit upon or straddle the leg, legs, lap or body of any patron, spectator or other person therein, or to engage in or simulate sexual activity while touching or being touched by such patron, spectator or other person. (g) It shall be unlawful for any person owning, maintaining, operating or leasing a commercial establishment regulated under this Part to suffer or permit any violation of subsections (a) through (f) of this Section. (h) A violation of subsection (g) shall occur if the person subject to that subsection is observed witnessing the violation or is in such proximity to the violation that it may be assumed that the person must have seen the violation of subsections (a) through (f) or intentionally ignored the violation. (i) It shall be unlawful for any person, while on the premises of a commercial establishment regulated under this Part, to use or be present in areas partitioned or screened from public view that are designed to be occupied together or alone by any person or persons on the premises of such establishment for sexual contact or nude or seminude entertainment. (j) It shall be unlawful for any person owning, maintaining, operating or leasing a commercial establishment regulated under this Part to suffer or permit the construction, maintenance or use of areas partitioned or screened from public view that are designed to be occupied together or alone by any person or persons on the premises of such establishment for sexual contact or nude or seminude entertainment. (k) It shall be unlawful for any person owning, maintaining, operating or leasing a commercial establishment regulated under this Part to suffer or permit any outside advertisement which encourages, solicits, induces or promotes conduct or activities proscribed by this Part in such establishment. (Ord. 87-270-186, § 1; Ord. 94-190-651, § 1; Ord. 2003-755-E, § 7; Ord. 2005-743-E, § 3; Ord. 2006-1127-E, § 5)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 150.609 Penalties.

Sec. 150.609. - Penalties. (a) Any person who violates any Section of this Part shall be guilty of an offense punishable as set forth herein. (b) The penalty for violation of this Part shall be: (1) A fine of not more than $500 and (2) Imprisonment of not less than two days nor more than 30 days. (Ord. 87-270-186, § 1; Ord. 94-190-651, § 1; Ord. 2003-755-E, § 8)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 150.611 Exemption.

Sec. 150.611. - Exemption. (a) The provisions of this Part do not apply to any performance produced by an organization registered as a not-for-profit corporation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. (b) Notwithstanding any ordinance or Ordinance Code provision to the contrary, in the event the exemption created in subsection (c) of this Section is held or declared invalid or unconstitutional, in whole or in part, or is held to cause any other provision or Section of this Chapter to be invalid or unconstitutional, in whole or in part, then the entire exemption is void and invalid and no person shall be entitled to such exemption. (Ord. 94-190-651, § 1; Ord. 95-307-109, § 24; Ord. 2003-755-E, § 9)
Source: City of Jacksonville, Ordinance Code and Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/fl/jacksonville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITVIBUTROC_CH150ADENSECO_PT6PRACFetched: 10/27/2026

Starting a business in Florida? Florida LLC guide: costs and requirements