In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, a sex establishment licence is a form of

licence A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

required for carrying on some types of sex-related businesses. Sex establishment licences are granted by

local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

, under the powers granted by the

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that grants a variety of powers to local authorities in England and Wales, including the power to regulate public entertainment, sex estab ...

. There are three classes of sex establishments: sex shops,

sex cinema An adult movie theater is a euphemistic term for a movie theater dedicated to the exhibition of pornographic films. Adult movie theaters show pornographic films primarily for either a respectively heterosexual or homosexual audience. For the pat ...

s, and sexual entertainment venues.

Sexual entertainment venues

Sexual entertainment venues are defined in the

Policing and Crime Act 2009 The Policing and Crime Act 2009 (c 26) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act makes provision about police reform, prostitution, sex offenders, sex establishments and certain other premises. It amends the law on aviation sec ...

, and are regulated by

under the

. This classification was originally intended to regulate lap-dancing clubs, but also extends to venues where other kinds of sex-related entertainment takes place, including

live sex show A sex show is a form of live performance that features one or more performers engaging in some form of sexual activity on stage for the entertainment or sexual gratification of spectators. Performers are paid either by the spectators or by the ...

s and peep shows.

References

Licenses Sex laws Sex industry Law of the United Kingdom {{UK-law-stub

Sexual entertainment venues

See also

References