Entertainment & Venues · 5 min read · Last updated
In Toronto's adult entertainment licensing scheme, the people running the floor are licensed individually: a designated manager — someone who manages, supervises or controls the daily or shift operations of a club on behalf of an owner or operator — needs their own licence. Here is who the definition catches, the documents involved, and how the licence is obtained and kept.
The City of Toronto lists this under its “Business” category: “A designated manager is someone who manages, supervises or controls the daily or shift operations of a club on behalf of an owner or operator.”
Who needs this licence?
The licence applies to anyone who manages, supervises or controls the daily or shift operations of an adult entertainment club on behalf of an owner or operator. The test is functional: whoever is actually in charge of a shift — opening, closing, supervising staff and entertainers, handling incidents — is acting as a designated manager and must be licensed to do it.
This is an individual licence, separate from the owner/operator licence that covers the business itself and from the entertainer licences held by performers. A club typically needs all three layers in place: licensed ownership, licensed managers on every shift, and licensed entertainers on stage.
What documents do you need?
As a personal licence, the package is about the individual:
- Two pieces of government-issued identification, at least one with a photo
- A police reference or criminal record check, as required for adult entertainment licence classes
- The City's supporting-documents checklist items for the category
Start the police check first — it is the pacing document, and the rest of the application is quick by comparison.
Zoning and premises requirements
There is no premises to zone for a personal licence: the designated manager licence attaches to the individual, and the work happens at a club that must itself be a lawfully zoned, licensed adult entertainment establishment. A manager's licence does not make an unlicensed or improperly located club legitimate — it authorizes the person, not the place.
Inspections and approvals
Managers experience inspections from the operational side. Municipal Licensing & Standards attends licensed clubs during operating hours, and the designated manager on shift is the person expected to produce licences, records and compliance on the spot. Carrying the licence while working and knowing the club's obligations are practical requirements of the role, not formalities.
How much does it cost?
The licence carries an application fee and an annual renewal fee, set in the City's licensing fee schedule, confirmed during the application, and paid to the City directly by the applicant.
How to apply
Apply through Municipal Licensing & Standards, which administers adult entertainment licensing under Chapter 545 of the Municipal Code — online via the City's business licence portal, available since January 2026, or in person. File the identification, police check and checklist items together as one complete package.
Clubs staffing multiple managers should coordinate applications so every shift is covered by a licensed person from day one — Permits2Go's workspace tracks a roster of individual licence files alongside the club's own licence.
Renewals and staying compliant
Renew annually and before expiry: an expired manager licence means the person cannot lawfully run a shift, which becomes the club's staffing problem the same night. Keep personal information current with the City, and employers should calendar every manager's renewal date rather than discovering a lapse during an inspection.
Quick quiz: test what you learned
Three questions, all answered in this guide. Click an answer to check it.
1. Who needs a Designated Manager licence at a Toronto adult entertainment club?
The definition is functional — whoever actually runs a shift needs the licence, regardless of job title.
2. How does the manager licence relate to the owner/operator licence?
Adult entertainment licensing is layered: ownership, shift management and performers are each licensed on their own.
3. What is typically the slowest document in a designated manager application?
Police checks take the longest to obtain, so starting one early keeps the rest of the personal licence package from waiting.
Skip the paperwork
Tell Permits2Go about your business and it assembles the licence application for you — document checklists, e-signatures and a guided workspace for Toronto, with more cities on the way.
This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. Licensing requirements, by-laws and fees change and vary by municipality — always confirm the current rules with the City before you apply.