The following pertains to question 7 on FACT's 2008 Legislative Candidate Survey, regarding sexually oriented businesses.

Background

Tennessee has two general laws that regulate adult-oriented businesses, which term includes a variety of businesses including, but not limited to, strip clubs and adult book stores.  Both sets of laws are found in Title 7, Chapter 51. Part 14 of Chapter 51 sets forth the state laws that regulate these businesses regardless of local law.

Here are three areas of state law that would be implicated by question 7 in FACT's survey:

1. State law (TCA Section 7-51-1402) sets forth restrictions on hours of operation for adult-oriented businesses (can’t open before 8 a.m. and must close by midnight). However, by virtue of TCA Section 7-51-1405, the law on hours of operation does “not apply to an establishment or the portion of an establishment that offers only live, stage adult entertainment [strip clubs]….”
   
   
2. State law does not require that adult entertainers or escorts have a license.
   
   
3. State law does not prohibiting touching in a strip club or any minimum distance rule.

The United States Constitution does not forbid a state from having laws on any of the foregoing subjects.

candidate survey

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More on This Issue

FACT's Human Sexuality page