Minneapolis Weighs New Rules For Adult Bathhouses, Sex Venues

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minneapolis officials are potentially moving forward with a proposal that would formally regulate adult bathhouses and other venues where sexual activity between consenting adults may take place.

The ordinance, authored by Council Member Elliott Payne, would create a new licensing category for what the city calls "adult sex venues" and update business regulations tied to adult entertainment.

The measure would amend the city’s licensing code and add a new chapter specifically governing these venues.

It is part of a broader package of proposed changes that also address zoning, health and sanitation rules, and miscellaneous offenses related to sexually oriented businesses.

Under the proposal, the city would:

• Establish a new license category for adult sex venues
• Update definitions tied to adult entertainment businesses
• Revise health rules related to high-risk sexual conduct
• Modify existing laws around indecent conduct to include exceptions for licensed establishments

City documents say the changes are intended to modernize outdated language, reflect current public health practices, and create clearer definitions for businesses that may legally operate where consensual sexual activity occurs.

Adult bathhouses once operated in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities but were largely shut down during the 1980s amid the AIDS crisis, following public pressure and new laws, according to the Star Tribune.

In Minneapolis, a 1988 ordinance banned businesses that facilitate what the city defined as "high-risk sexual conduct," effectively prohibiting bathhouses and similar venues.

The push for that ban had support from some within the LGBTQ community at the time. Former City Council Member Brian Coyle, the first openly gay member of the council, backed the restrictions, citing concerns about high-risk sexual activity occurring in bathhouses, the Star Tribune notes.

The push for change now comes in part from the Safer Sex Spaces Coalition.

The ordinance was introduced March 5 and received its first reading March 26 before being referred to the City Council’s Committee of the Whole.

On April 7, the committee sent the measure forward without recommendation.

Related ordinances tied to zoning, health, and criminal code changes are also under consideration Thursday.