Missouri is one of the strictest states in the US for adult entertainment. In 2010 the legislature passed SB 586 & 617, which added sections 573.525 to 573.537 to the Missouri Revised Statutes and took effect on 28 August 2010. The law applies statewide to every “sexually oriented business” — strip clubs, adult cabarets, adult bookstores and adult theatres alike. In November 2011 the Supreme Court of Missouri rejected a First Amendment challenge to it in a unanimous opinion, holding that the rules were not content-based restrictions on speech but were aimed at the secondary effects of these businesses on health, welfare and safety. The law has stood ever since.
In practice this means a Missouri club looks different from one in Illinois, Kansas or Nevada. Expect covered dancers, no bar, an early closing time and no contact at all.
What the Missouri law actually says
The operative section is RSMo 573.531. The main provisions are:
- No nudity. No one may appear in a “state of nudity” in a sexually oriented business. Under RSMo 573.010, nudity means showing the genitals, pubic area, vulva, anus or anal cleft, or a female breast with less than a fully opaque covering of any part of the nipple or areola. Dancers perform covered — “semi-nude” is the legal maximum.
- Stage and distance rules. A semi-nude employee must remain on a fixed stage at least six feet from all patrons and at least 18 inches above the floor, in a room of at least 600 square feet.
- No touching. A semi-nude employee may not knowingly touch a patron or a patron’s clothing. This effectively rules out conventional lap dances.
- No alcohol. No one may sell, use or consume alcoholic beverages on the premises. Missouri clubs are dry or serve non-alcoholic drinks only.
- Midnight closing. No sexually oriented business may be open between 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. on any day.
- Adults only. No one under 18 may be on the premises.
- Location rules. New businesses may not open within 1,000 feet of a school, house of worship, licensed day care, public library, public park, residence or another sexually oriented business. Businesses lawfully established before 28 August 2010 are exempt from this distance rule.
Cities layer their own licensing on top of the state law. In Kansas City, adult entertainment businesses are licensed and regulated by the city’s Regulated Industries division under Chapter 12, Article II of the Code of Ordinances, with an adult cabaret licence carrying an annual fee. Always assume both state and municipal rules apply.
One consequence visitors notice quickly: there are no Missouri-side clubs listed for the St. Louis metro area in this directory. Illinois does not impose Missouri’s statewide bans on nudity and alcohol, and full-nude venues operate on the Illinois side of the river around Sauget and East St. Louis. If you are in St. Louis and expecting a full-nude club with a bar, you will be crossing the state line.
Kansas City
- Bazooka’s Showgirls — 1717 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64108
- The Shady Lady Lounge — 2800 E. 12th Street, Kansas City
- Temptations — 1517 Grand Blvd, Kansas City
- Baccala — 4704 Independence Ave, Kansas City, MO 64124
- Chrome — 7400 E US-40, Kansas City, MO 64129
Springfield
- Springfield Centerfold — 2800 W Sunshine St, Springfield
- Showtime Joe’s — 2209 W Sunshine St, Springfield
- Rumors Cabaret Springfield — 1750 S Glenstone Ave, Springfield
- Pink Cadillac — 765 S Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65802
Columbia
- Rumours Cabaret Columbia — 2306 Business Loop 70 E, Columbia
- Club Vogue — 912 Business Loop 70 E, Columbia
What to check before you go
- Plan around the midnight cutoff. State law forces closing at midnight, so a Missouri night out starts and ends much earlier than in neighbouring states. Arrive by mid-evening.
- Call ahead — and bring cash. Several Missouri venues have no website, and listings change. Ring the club the same day to confirm it is open and to ask about cover charge and payment.
- Know that it is a dry venue. With alcohol banned on the premises, budget for soft drinks and food instead, and sort out transport separately rather than assuming a bar tab and a late taxi.