There has to be a Footloose-like spinoff in the making in Prince George’s County.

WJLA reports today that the two operators of a nightclub located in Capitol Heights will plead guilty today to operating a dance hall without a license. The guilty pleas are being announced today at 3 p.m. According to The Washington Times, they’re also facing a civil lawsuit for a drive-by shooting that occurred at the club last August.

Wait, an unlicensed dance hall? Indeed.

Last July, the Prince George County Council passed and County Executive Rushern Baker signed a measure that tightens up licensing requirements for running a dance hall, which is broadly defined as any place where people dance.

Under the new law, separate categories of dance halls were created — one for adults (21 and above) and the other for teens (18-21). Before a license for either can even be granted, a hopeful club owner has to submit a detailed security plan to the county for approval, undergo a background check and show proof of bodily injury liability insurance and property damage liability insurance.

There’s a number of additional rules, including no dancing between 2 a.m. and 11 a.m., allowing county officials to shut down dance halls.

While Kevin Bacon wasn’t allowed to dance because of the influence of a religious leader, Prince George’s County said it had more practical considerations in mind — public safety. According to the Gazzette, police have linked at least 62 killings between 2005 and 2011 to nightclubs.

Of course, not every club owner was happy with the changes:

But Doc Hayes, who has owned Club Elite in Temple Hills since 1997, said the increased fees and regulations unfairly lump peaceful establishments, such as his, with problem spots.

“My point is the broad stroke is too wide,” Hayes said. “We have to draw back to make sure we don’t include establishments that are operating legitimately.”

While the situation in Prince George’s County is certainly in a category all its own, the District has similarly struggled for years over how to control and respond to violence in nightclubs and bars. Back in 2007, Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) went as far as to propose that minors be forbidden from just about any club in the city. (It never went anywhere.) Police Chief Cathy Lanier has used her emergency powers to shut down clubs where violent incidents occur, and more recently Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) proposed legislation that would make more clubs hire off-duty police officers for security.