The
legal status of striptease in the United States and elsewhere has evolved over the course of time, with national and local laws becoming more liberal overall in the U.S. but much stricter in places such as Iceland. From ancient times to the present day,
striptease was considered a form of
public nudity and subject to legal and cultural prohibitions on
moral and
decency grounds. Such restrictions have been embodied in venue licensing regulations and various national and local laws, including liquor licensing restrictions.