Businesses offering adult-oriented services must obtain proper municipal licensing. This includes businesses offering or engaging in the activities of a date, escort, exotic entertainer or model. These activities are not considered exotic entertainers unless they are providing entertainment for patrons, such as dancing.
Escort agencies, exotic entertainment agencies and model studios are not permitted to operate between a. Escort agencies, exotic entertainment agencies and model studios are not permitted to be in residential areas.
If your business does not require a licence, you still require a Business ID and land use approval. Visit businesses not requiring a municipal licence for more information. Once you apply for your business licence, outstanding approvals must be completed before the business licence is issued. A business licence will often have multiple licence types associated with it. Below is a chart of all the related licence types that fall under this business activity.
If your business requires multiple licence types, approval processes are only generated once per licence. For example, only one fire inspection is required even if multiple licence types require that inspection. All businesses in Calgary require land use approval. Each space in a building has its own specified, approved use that cannot be changed without an approval, permit or both. To view the allowable uses within a land use district, refer to the Land Use Bylaw. To determine the land use district of a property, visit myProperty.
You can also refer to Commercial, industrial and mulit-residential for more information, or contact our Planning Services Centre at to investigate land use approval for your business. Approval is completed by the Calgary Police Service and is initiated on your behalf through your business licence application. Please note that previous police checks cannot be used as a substitute for this approval process.
