Bellevue, Washington enacted an ordinance regulating adult cabarets with rules on distance, lighting, and operating hours. The Washington Supreme Court upheld most of these rules as reasonable time-place-manner restrictions. However, the court struck down a provision that delayed manager licensing for 14 days without offering temporary licenses, finding it unconstitutionally blocked free expression. The ruling shows courts will approve reasonable operational restrictions on businesses but reject rules that create unnecessary delays in licensing without interim relief.
Cities can impose reasonable operational rules (distance from schools, lighting standards, hours) on adult entertainment venues without violating free speech rights