Where can I put a sexually oriented business establishment (mu 9 or mu 15 zone only) in Washington, D.C.?

Sexually-oriented business establishment (MU-9 or MU-15 zone only)

Allowed only with a discretionary approval in 3 districts

These require a hearing or an approval from the District. They are not a “no”, and they are not a “yes” either.

District	Properties loaded	Code	What says so
NHR the ordinance paragraph quoted here	19	Conditional	Subtitle U §516.1(i) Sexually-oriented business establishment in the MU-9 or MU-15 zone, subject to the following conditions: (1) No portion of the establishment shall be located within six hundred feet (600 ft.) of any R, RF, RA, MU-1, MU-2, MU-1/DC, MU-2/DC, or MU-2/CAP zone; (2) No portion of the establishment shall be located within six hundred feet (600 ft.) of a church, school, library, playground, or the area under the jurisdiction of the Commission of Fine Arts pursuant to the Shipstead-Luce Act, approved May 16, 1930 (46 Stat. 366, as amended; D.C. Official Code § 6-611.01 (formerly codified at D.C. Official Code § 5-410 (1994 Repl.))); (3) No portion of the establishment shall be located within three hundred feet (300 ft.) of any other sexually-oriented business establishment; (4) There shall be no display of goods or services visible from the exterior of the premises; (5) The establishment shall be compatible with other uses in the area; (6) The use shall not become objectionable because of its effect on the character of the neighborhood or because of noise, traffic, or other conditions; and (7) The establishment shall not have an adverse impact on religious, educational, or governmental facilities located in the area; and (j) Veterinary boarding hospital subject to the following conditions: City of Washington, D.C. \| Title 11 - Zoning SUBTITLE U, CHAPTER 5-42 (1) A veterinary boarding hospital may board any animal permitted to be lawfully sold in the District of Columbia, pursuant to § 9(j) of the Animal Control Act of 1970 (D.C. Law 3-30, as amended; D.C. Official Code § 8-1808(j)); (2) No more than fifty percent (50%) of the gross floor area of the veterinary boarding hospital may be devoted to the boarding of animals; (3) The veterinary boarding hospital shall be located and designated to create no objectionable conditions to adjacent properties resulting from animal noise, odor, or waste; (4) The veterinary boarding hospital shall not abut an existing residential use or a residential zone; unless the existing residential use is in a mixed-use building and the applicant demonstrates to the Board’s satisfaction that: (A) The building was designed and constructed or will be re-designed and renovated to mitigate noise to limit negative impacts on residential units that the use will abut, including the use of industry standard sound- absorbing materials, such as acoustical floor and ceiling panels, acoustical concrete and masonry, solid core doors, caulking to seal penetrations made in floor slabs for pipes, spray-on noise insulation, and acoustical landscaping; (B) The windows and doors of the space devoted to the veterinary boarding hospital use shall be kept closed, and all doors facing a residential use will be solid core; (C) Animal waste shall be placed in closed waste disposal containers located in enclosed areas or away from abutting or confronting residential windows and doors; and shall be collected by a waste disposal company at least weekly; (D) Odors will be controlled by means of an air filtration system or an equivalently effective odor control system; (E) Floor finish material, areas intended to be wet, and wall finish materials measured a minimum of forty-eight inches (48 in.) from the floor, shall be impervious and washable; (5) External yards or other external facilities for the keeping of animals shall not be permitted; (6) Pet grooming, the sale of pet supplies, and incidental boarding of animals as necessary for convalescence, are permitted as accessory uses; (7) The Board of Zoning Adjustment may impose additional requirements as it deems necessary to protect adjacent or nearby properties; and City of Washington, D.C. \| Title 11 - Zoning SUBTITLE U, CHAPTER 5-43 (8) The Board may waive or modify the conditions of this paragraph upon a determination that there will be no adverse impacts to building residents or tenants, or to adjacent properties resulting from the waiver or modification. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking & Order No. 08-06A published at 63 DCR 2447 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 17-04 published at 64 DCR 7264 (July 28, 2018); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 20-10 published at 67 DCR 11964 (October 16, 2020); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 20-20 published at 68 DCR 2485 (March 5, 2021); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 18-16/19- 27-19-27B published at 70 DCR 11297 (August 25, 2023).
NYE the ordinance paragraph quoted here	6	Conditional	Subtitle U §516.1(i) Sexually-oriented business establishment in the MU-9 or MU-15 zone, subject to the following conditions: (1) No portion of the establishment shall be located within six hundred feet (600 ft.) of any R, RF, RA, MU-1, MU-2, MU-1/DC, MU-2/DC, or MU-2/CAP zone; (2) No portion of the establishment shall be located within six hundred feet (600 ft.) of a church, school, library, playground, or the area under the jurisdiction of the Commission of Fine Arts pursuant to the Shipstead-Luce Act, approved May 16, 1930 (46 Stat. 366, as amended; D.C. Official Code § 6-611.01 (formerly codified at D.C. Official Code § 5-410 (1994 Repl.))); (3) No portion of the establishment shall be located within three hundred feet (300 ft.) of any other sexually-oriented business establishment; (4) There shall be no display of goods or services visible from the exterior of the premises; (5) The establishment shall be compatible with other uses in the area; (6) The use shall not become objectionable because of its effect on the character of the neighborhood or because of noise, traffic, or other conditions; and (7) The establishment shall not have an adverse impact on religious, educational, or governmental facilities located in the area; and (j) Veterinary boarding hospital subject to the following conditions: City of Washington, D.C. \| Title 11 - Zoning SUBTITLE U, CHAPTER 5-42 (1) A veterinary boarding hospital may board any animal permitted to be lawfully sold in the District of Columbia, pursuant to § 9(j) of the Animal Control Act of 1970 (D.C. Law 3-30, as amended; D.C. Official Code § 8-1808(j)); (2) No more than fifty percent (50%) of the gross floor area of the veterinary boarding hospital may be devoted to the boarding of animals; (3) The veterinary boarding hospital shall be located and designated to create no objectionable conditions to adjacent properties resulting from animal noise, odor, or waste; (4) The veterinary boarding hospital shall not abut an existing residential use or a residential zone; unless the existing residential use is in a mixed-use building and the applicant demonstrates to the Board’s satisfaction that: (A) The building was designed and constructed or will be re-designed and renovated to mitigate noise to limit negative impacts on residential units that the use will abut, including the use of industry standard sound- absorbing materials, such as acoustical floor and ceiling panels, acoustical concrete and masonry, solid core doors, caulking to seal penetrations made in floor slabs for pipes, spray-on noise insulation, and acoustical landscaping; (B) The windows and doors of the space devoted to the veterinary boarding hospital use shall be kept closed, and all doors facing a residential use will be solid core; (C) Animal waste shall be placed in closed waste disposal containers located in enclosed areas or away from abutting or confronting residential windows and doors; and shall be collected by a waste disposal company at least weekly; (D) Odors will be controlled by means of an air filtration system or an equivalently effective odor control system; (E) Floor finish material, areas intended to be wet, and wall finish materials measured a minimum of forty-eight inches (48 in.) from the floor, shall be impervious and washable; (5) External yards or other external facilities for the keeping of animals shall not be permitted; (6) Pet grooming, the sale of pet supplies, and incidental boarding of animals as necessary for convalescence, are permitted as accessory uses; (7) The Board of Zoning Adjustment may impose additional requirements as it deems necessary to protect adjacent or nearby properties; and City of Washington, D.C. \| Title 11 - Zoning SUBTITLE U, CHAPTER 5-43 (8) The Board may waive or modify the conditions of this paragraph upon a determination that there will be no adverse impacts to building residents or tenants, or to adjacent properties resulting from the waiver or modification. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking & Order No. 08-06A published at 63 DCR 2447 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 17-04 published at 64 DCR 7264 (July 28, 2018); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 20-10 published at 67 DCR 11964 (October 16, 2020); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 20-20 published at 68 DCR 2485 (March 5, 2021); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 18-16/19- 27-19-27B published at 70 DCR 11297 (August 25, 2023).
USN the ordinance paragraph quoted here	no parcels loaded	Conditional	Subtitle U §516.1(i) Sexually-oriented business establishment in the MU-9 or MU-15 zone, subject to the following conditions: (1) No portion of the establishment shall be located within six hundred feet (600 ft.) of any R, RF, RA, MU-1, MU-2, MU-1/DC, MU-2/DC, or MU-2/CAP zone; (2) No portion of the establishment shall be located within six hundred feet (600 ft.) of a church, school, library, playground, or the area under the jurisdiction of the Commission of Fine Arts pursuant to the Shipstead-Luce Act, approved May 16, 1930 (46 Stat. 366, as amended; D.C. Official Code § 6-611.01 (formerly codified at D.C. Official Code § 5-410 (1994 Repl.))); (3) No portion of the establishment shall be located within three hundred feet (300 ft.) of any other sexually-oriented business establishment; (4) There shall be no display of goods or services visible from the exterior of the premises; (5) The establishment shall be compatible with other uses in the area; (6) The use shall not become objectionable because of its effect on the character of the neighborhood or because of noise, traffic, or other conditions; and (7) The establishment shall not have an adverse impact on religious, educational, or governmental facilities located in the area; and (j) Veterinary boarding hospital subject to the following conditions: City of Washington, D.C. \| Title 11 - Zoning SUBTITLE U, CHAPTER 5-42 (1) A veterinary boarding hospital may board any animal permitted to be lawfully sold in the District of Columbia, pursuant to § 9(j) of the Animal Control Act of 1970 (D.C. Law 3-30, as amended; D.C. Official Code § 8-1808(j)); (2) No more than fifty percent (50%) of the gross floor area of the veterinary boarding hospital may be devoted to the boarding of animals; (3) The veterinary boarding hospital shall be located and designated to create no objectionable conditions to adjacent properties resulting from animal noise, odor, or waste; (4) The veterinary boarding hospital shall not abut an existing residential use or a residential zone; unless the existing residential use is in a mixed-use building and the applicant demonstrates to the Board’s satisfaction that: (A) The building was designed and constructed or will be re-designed and renovated to mitigate noise to limit negative impacts on residential units that the use will abut, including the use of industry standard sound- absorbing materials, such as acoustical floor and ceiling panels, acoustical concrete and masonry, solid core doors, caulking to seal penetrations made in floor slabs for pipes, spray-on noise insulation, and acoustical landscaping; (B) The windows and doors of the space devoted to the veterinary boarding hospital use shall be kept closed, and all doors facing a residential use will be solid core; (C) Animal waste shall be placed in closed waste disposal containers located in enclosed areas or away from abutting or confronting residential windows and doors; and shall be collected by a waste disposal company at least weekly; (D) Odors will be controlled by means of an air filtration system or an equivalently effective odor control system; (E) Floor finish material, areas intended to be wet, and wall finish materials measured a minimum of forty-eight inches (48 in.) from the floor, shall be impervious and washable; (5) External yards or other external facilities for the keeping of animals shall not be permitted; (6) Pet grooming, the sale of pet supplies, and incidental boarding of animals as necessary for convalescence, are permitted as accessory uses; (7) The Board of Zoning Adjustment may impose additional requirements as it deems necessary to protect adjacent or nearby properties; and City of Washington, D.C. \| Title 11 - Zoning SUBTITLE U, CHAPTER 5-43 (8) The Board may waive or modify the conditions of this paragraph upon a determination that there will be no adverse impacts to building residents or tenants, or to adjacent properties resulting from the waiver or modification. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking & Order No. 08-06A published at 63 DCR 2447 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 17-04 published at 64 DCR 7264 (July 28, 2018); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 20-10 published at 67 DCR 11964 (October 16, 2020); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 20-20 published at 68 DCR 2485 (March 5, 2021); Final Rulemaking & Order No. 18-16/19- 27-19-27B published at 70 DCR 11297 (August 25, 2023).

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This answer is good through April 3, 2026 — that is the date the ordinance we hold runs to, as published by DC Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances. The District has since adopted something newer that we have not taken in yet, so parts of this may already be out of date.

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What this does not cover

138,270 properties are loaded, county-wide. The District’s parcel record gives a street address but no ZIP code, so there is no ZIP breakdown to give and none is shown.
A further 2,535 properties carry a parcel zone code this page cannot match to a single column of the use table: (none), ARTS (6 variants, e.g. ARTS-1;ARTS-2), BF (7 variants, e.g. BF-1A;RA-1), CG (6 variants, e.g. CG-3;RA-2), D (17 variants, e.g. D-2;D-6), HE (6 variants, e.g. HE-1;HE-2), MU (131 variants, e.g. MU-1/DC;MU-2/DC), NHR;PDR, NHR;UNZONED, NMU (16 variants, e.g. NMU-3A/MW;RA-1), NYE;UNZONED, PDR (34 variants, e.g. PDR-1/CAP;RF-1/CAP), R (58 variants, e.g. R-1A/CBUT;R-1B), RA (18 variants, e.g. RA-1;RA-2) and 5 more.
1,678 of those lie in TWO OR MORE districts at once. Their code below holds every district the parcel really shares area with, joined by a semicolon — ARTS-1;ARTS-2, ARTS-1;ARTS-4;RA-2, ARTS-1;RF-1, ARTS-3;ARTS-4, ARTS-3;RA-2 and 327 more. The ordinance does not say the larger share wins, so we do not pick one: the parcel is shown as straddling and is not counted under either district.
(none) above means a parcel with no zone code assigned in the District's own data — 5 of them.
Owner filters. We have an owner of record for 132,963 of Washington, D.C.’s 138,270 parcels, of which 36,467 are owned by a company, trust or other organization, including 6,282 owned by public bodies — governments, authorities, schools, churches. That split is Zonescore’s reading of the owner’s name, not something the District published, and we keep the two apart rather than deciding for you which counts as an investor. 19,115 have an owner whose mailing address is outside DC — read off the end of the District’s own address string, where the state actually is, because “MD” also occurs inside “RICHMOND”. We could read a state on 126,746 of them; the rest are not counted either way. 34,374 are owned by somebody this District writes to at a different address — not the property itself. That is where the tax bill goes, which is not the same as where the owner sleeps — an owner can collect mail at a property they rent out, and one who is written to elsewhere may still live here. We can tell you the two addresses differ; we cannot tell you the owner does not live at the property. 18,004 of them are written to an address inside DC, so the out-of-state filter above cannot see them at all. That count is out of the 117,932 properties where we could compare the two addresses. On 15,031 more we could not — the owner is written to a post-office box, or the District’s own record of the property names a street and no building number — and those are left out rather than counted as living at home. Matching two addresses is Zonescore’s reading, not something the District published: we treat “123 Main St” and “123 Main Street” as one place, ignore an apartment number, and compare the ZIP code rather than the town name — a jurisdiction’s record of a property and its record of that property’s owner often name the same place by different towns, and treating those as two addresses would count somebody living in their own house as an absentee. Owned for (based on the last recorded transfer): under 2 years 13,000+; 2-5 years 18,000+; 5-10 years 26,000+; 10-20 years 26,000+; 20-30 years 18,000+. 30+ years: Not offered here. The transfer dates we hold for the District begin in 1997, so they cannot show a 30-year hold. Older recorded transfers from the District would close this. 33,000+ properties have no transfer date we can read and are in no bucket. 70,693 are worth more as land than as building — the District’s own land assessment is at least 50% of its total. 5,241 properties carry no pair of assessments and are left out of that count rather than treated as zero, which would make every one of them look like bare land.
Owner data from District of Columbia's property ownership records, retrieved September 25, 2026. CC BY 4.0.
The parcel record we fetch carries no ZIP code for the property itself, so the district counts above carry no ZIP breakdown. It gives the street address only; the one ZIP it does carry belongs to the owner’s mailing address, which is a fact about a different place and is not used here. We do not infer a ZIP we were not given.
Overlay districts are not modeled here. An overlay can change what a property allows.
Some cells in this ordinance state two outcomes without saying what separates them; those are shown with their code and their source, and not guessed at.

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