If you have read an older guide to North Carolina nightlife, you may expect to pay a membership fee at the door. For decades, establishments where alcohol made up more than 70 per cent of sales had to either serve food or operate as members-only private clubs — meaning a fee and handing over your details before you could be served. That requirement was removed when House Bill 768 was signed into law on 7 July 2022, replacing the old private bar permit with a straightforward bar permit.
The private club category still exists in state law. The ABC Commission defines one under G.S. 18B-1000(5) as an establishment organised solely for a social, recreational, patriotic or fraternal purpose, open only to members and their guests. If a venue still presents itself as members-only, that is the framework it is working within. Otherwise, expect a normal cover charge.
What state law allows on a licensed premises
The rule that shapes what you see on stage is G.S. 18B-1005.1. It makes it unlawful for an ABC permit holder or their staff to knowingly allow:
- Entertainment by any person whose genitals are exposed, or who wears transparent clothing revealing them
- Entertainment that includes or simulates sexual acts
- Entertainment that includes fondling of the breasts, buttocks, anus, vulva or genitals
There is a narrow exception for theatres, concert halls and museums primarily devoted to the arts. The practical effect is that a venue holding an ABC permit operates under tighter limits than one that does not serve alcohol.
City ordinances
Both large cities regulate adult establishments through zoning. Charlotte permits them in specific business and industrial districts, with a separation of at least 1,000 feet from any residential district, school, church, child care centre, park or playground — 1,500 feet for certain categories. Raleigh defines an adult cabaret as any place featuring topless dancers, go-go dancers or strippers, and applies a radius rule limiting concentration and proximity to places of worship, schools and residential districts.
Both codes have been revised over the years, so check the current municipal code for anything you rely on.
Charlotte
- Club Onyx Charlotte — 5300 Old Pineville Road
- Leather & Lace — 2101 South Blvd
- Leather & Lace University — 7321-D N Tryon St
Raleigh and the Triangle
- The Men’s Club of Raleigh — 3210 Yonkers Rd
- Pure Gold of Raleigh — 301 N Harrison Ave, Cary
Greensboro
- Centerfolds Gentlemen’s Club — 2104 Veasley St
- The Treasure Club — 7806 Boeing Dr
Elsewhere in the state
- Cheetah Premier Wilmington — 143 S College Rd
- Cheetah Premier Southern Pines — 1864 N Sandhills Blvd
- Victorias Cabaret — 4931 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville
- Scores Mooresville — 123 Executive Center Pl
Fayetteville sits next to Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, and Bragg Boulevard runs between the two. One point worth knowing if you are stationed there: Fort Liberty maintains an off-limits list covering Fayetteville-area businesses, which local reporting says includes bars, strip clubs and party promoters. Entering a listed business is treated as violating a lawful order.
Listings without a confirmed address
Three entries in the directory carry no street address. Confirm by phone before travelling.
What to check before you go
- Whether the venue holds an ABC permit. It determines what is permitted on stage, and whether you can buy a drink at all.
- The door policy in advance. Membership is no longer required by state law, but venues set their own cover, dress code and ID rules.
- Military status, if it applies to you. Service members near Fort Liberty should check the current off-limits list before visiting anywhere in the Fayetteville area.