IN GENERAL

Atlanta City Code pt. II, ch. 14, art. I

in effect

Atlanta City Code § 14-1 Manner of gaining entrance to places of amusement, entertainment or exhibition.

Sec. 14-1. - Manner of gaining entrance to places of amusement, entertainment or exhibition. It shall be unlawful for any person to enter any building, tent or other enclosure used for the purpose of public or private amusement, entertainment or exhibition without the consent of the persons in control thereof or without having first paid the entrance or admission fee fixed by any persons in control thereof. (Code 1977, § 14-3011)

Atlanta City Code § 14-2 Permit required to own or operate place of public entertainment.

Sec. 14-2. - Permit required to own or operate place of public entertainment. It shall be unlawful for any person to own or operate any theater, moving picture house or other place of public entertainment without first filing a written application with the chief of police for a permit, which application shall state the name of the applicant and such other information as the mayor or the mayor's designee may desire. An application fee of $100.00 is due at the time of application. The mayor shall pass upon the application and upon favorable review, issue a permit. Annual/renewal fees for a permit for theaters, moving picture houses or other places of public entertainment are $500.00. The obtaining of a permit does not exempt the applicant from paying any license tax required by the city, this section being in addition thereto. (Code 1977, § 14-3005; Ord. No. 1999-21, § 1, 2-9-99)

Atlanta City Code § 14-3 Reserved.

Atlanta City Code § 14-4 Approvals required for permit issuance to theater or assembly hall using electricity.

Sec. 14-4. - Approvals required for permit issuance to theater or assembly hall using electricity. All theaters employing the use of electric power or wiring of any description shall have the approval of the director, bureau of buildings, the appropriate electrical inspector and the department of fire. No permit shall be issued for any theater or assembly hall until the electrical inspector, bureau of buildings and department of fire shall have given their written approval that the requirements of this Code and other ordinances pertaining to the building have been complied with. (Code 1977, § 14-3007)

Atlanta City Code § 14-5 Shooting galleries.

Sec. 14-5. - Shooting galleries. (a) Permit required. Any person desiring to open a shooting gallery shall make a written application for a permit to the department of police. This application will be considered at a regular meeting of the license review board which shall conduct a hearing and report its conclusions and recommendations to the mayor. The mayor, upon receiving the recommendation of the license review board, may, within 60 calendar days of receipt of said recommendation, deny or grant an application for a new permit. In addition, within said 60-day period, if the mayor determines there is a need to correct a clear error or prevent a manifest injustice, the mayor may remand the application back to the license review board for further hearing. If the mayor fails to take action within the 60-day period, the recommendation of the license review board shall become the final decision of the mayor. (b) Renewal of permit. Owners or operators of shooting galleries shall renew their permits not later than January 1 of each year with the department of police. (c) Shooting by minors and drunken persons. It shall be unlawful for persons conducting any shooting gallery to allow minors, except with the consent of their parents or guardians, or drunken persons to practice shooting therein. (d) Restrictions in fire district. All shooting galleries located within the fire district shall close at 12:00 midnight of each day on which they are opened for business and shall not open until after 8:00 a.m. the following day. When so closed, the entire business of the galleries shall cease. No shooting or operation of targets or any of the activities of the place shall then be carried on. After 10:00 p.m. each day, only smokeless powder shall be used, and no loud bells or gongs shall be attached to targets. (e) Additional location restrictions. No shooting gallery shall be located within 800 feet of any other shooting gallery, and no shooting gallery shall be located within 800 feet of any of the following uses: (1) From any structures in residential use. (2) From any public or private school. (3) From any public or private park or recreation facility. (4) From any public library branch. (5) From any church or similar place of religious worship. (6) From any public or private hospital or mental health care facility. (7) From any child care or day care facility. The distance in this subsection shall be measured in a straight line from the closest point of the property line of the site proposed to be occupied by the shooting gallery to the closest property line of any use identified above. (f) An applicant for a permit to operate a shooting gallery shall include with their application, a plat of survey prepared and sealed by a surveyor registered in the state certifying that all of the locational requirements in subsection (e) have been met. (g) An applicant for a new permit to operate a shooting gallery, who has acquired a previously permitted location may, within one year after the expiration of the previous owner's permit, apply for a shooting gallery permit for that location even though the location may not meet distance requirements contained in this section, though it shall meet and qualify under all other requirements of this section for the granting of a new permit. (Code 1977, § 14-3008; Ord. No. 2008-79(08-O-1677), § 1, 11-6-08; Ord. No. 2013-22(13-O-1028), § 1, 5-29-13)

Atlanta City Code § 14-6 Theatrical performances.

Sec. 14-6. - Theatrical performances. (a) Definition. For the purpose of this section, the term "theatrical performances" includes the exhibition or showing of motion pictures and every kind of stage play, exhibition, performance or recital where any admission fee is charged or accepted. The only exceptions to this section shall be exhibitions or performances of an educational or religious character where no admission fee is charged or where the total receipts from admission fees, collections or contributions shall be devoted exclusively to religious or charitable purposes. (b) Accepting or soliciting contributions. It is unlawful for any person to accept, as a condition precedent to admission to any of these performances, any cash or other thing of value or to solicit volunteer contributions of patrons where no admission fee under any guise or character is exacted. (c) Opening hours. It is unlawful for any person directly or indirectly to begin any theatrical performance between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. unless the performance shall have been concluded before 3:00 a.m. (d) Hours when prohibited. It is unlawful for any person directly or indirectly to give any theatrical performance or any part or parcel of a performance between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. (e) Presence during prohibited hours. No person shall be in any theater or public place where theatrical performances are given between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., except necessary employees. (f) General admission ticket sales. It is unlawful for any person directly or indirectly to offer for sale any ticket to a theatrical performance which is for general admission. All tickets sold to theatrical performances must indicate a specific seat to which the holder of that ticket is assigned. This subsection shall not apply to movie theaters or to other theaters with seating capacities of 2,500 or less. (Code 1977, § 14-3001)

Atlanta City Code § 14-7 Reserved.

Atlanta City Code § 14-8 Skating and other rinks.

Sec. 14-8. - Skating and other rinks. No license shall be issued by the chief financial officer to any person for a skating rink, walking rink or rink of like character, except by order of the mayor. Any person desiring a permit shall make application to the department of police stating the location, size and kind of structure to be used, which shall be acted on by the mayor at the mayor's discretion. (Code 1977, § 14-3004)

Atlanta City Code § 14-9 Game centers.

Sec. 14-9. - Game centers. (a) Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: Game center means any place or premises on which there is provided coin-operated or fee-paid mechanical, electronic or other similar devices primarily manufactured for amusement and entertainment purposes. Mechanical devices includes but is not limited to pool tables, billiard tables, pinball machines, electronic pingpong, electronic tennis or other similar devices. (b) Permit required. Any person desiring to operate a game center shall make written application for a permit to the department of police. The license review board shall conduct a hearing at a regular meeting of the license review board on the application and report its conclusions and recommendations to the mayor. The mayor, upon receiving the recommendation of the license review board, may, within 60 calendar days of receipt of said recommendation, deny or grant an application for a new permit. In addition, within said 60-day period, if the mayor determines there is a need to correct a clear error or prevent a manifest injustice, the mayor may remand the application back to the license review board for further hearing. If the mayor fails to take action within the 60-day period, the recommendation of the license review board shall become the final decision of the mayor. At such time that the permit is granted by the mayor, the game center shall be allowed to open for business. (c) The bureau of planning shall notify the councilmembers (district and at-large) for the council district and council post and the NPU chair for the NPU in which any such game center is to be located, that an application for a permit to operate a game center is to be considered by the license review board. Such notification shall include the name of the applicant, address of the proposed game center and the date and time of the hearing before the license review board. (d) Distance from schools. No permit for a game center shall be issued where the place of business of the applicant is within 300 yards of any public school or public schoolgrounds located in residentially zoned districts nor shall any permit be issued where the place of business is located within 300 feet of public schoolgrounds and where the place of business is located within a commercially zoned business district. (e) School-age children on premises during school hours. No child of school age shall be allowed on the premises of a game center during school hours while school is in session. Any game center found not in compliance with this subsection is subject to having its permit revoked. (Code 1977, § 14-3013; Ord. No. 1999-55, §§ 1, 2, 7-15-99; Ord. No. 2008-79(08-O-1677), § 2, 11-6-08)

Atlanta City Code § 14-10 Crowding at circuses and shows.

Sec. 14-10. - Crowding at circuses and shows. It shall be unlawful for any person being in charge of or assisting in the management of any circus, show, wild west show, horse show, dog show or similar exhibition to which the public is invited through the sale of tickets of admission or the giving of passes to permit the attendance of the public in numbers in excess of the number of seats provided or to fail to provide means of access to and exit from the seats or to permit the means of access and exit to become crowded before, during or after performances. (Code 1977, § 14-3002)

Atlanta City Code § 14-11 Transient theatrical companies using electrical equipment.

Sec. 14-11. - Transient theatrical companies using electrical equipment. Transient theatrical companies shall be required to furnish all necessary plugging boxes and plugs or to use house plugs and boxes and all necessary wire for the construction of the lights carried by them. The chief electrical inspector shall inspect, in the inspector's discretion, all electrical effects belonging to those transient companies. The theater electrician shall be a competent electrician and shall be required to pass an examination to be conducted by that inspector. The inspector shall be notified at least one day before a performance by the company of the transient company that will use electrical apparatus, and on failure to do so the permit shall be revoked. (Code 1977, § 14-3009)

Atlanta City Code § 14-12 Reserved.

Atlanta City Code § 14-13 Indecent or immoral shows.

Sec. 14-13. - Indecent or immoral shows. It shall be unlawful for any person to exhibit or perform in any hall, house or public place any indecent, immoral or lewd play or dance or to sing to a public audience any sacrilegious, indecent, vulgar or lewd song. It shall be the duty of the police and city officers to arrest every person violating this section in their presence or on complaint of any citizen of a violation of this section by any person. (Code 1977, § 14-3012)

Source: City of Atlanta, Code of Ordinances (Charter and Related Laws, General Ordinances, Land Development Code) (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ga/atlanta/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOORENOR_CH14AMEN_ARTIINGEFetched: 10/28/2026