Abilene, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing authority
- City Secretary, with Police and Health sign-off
- Operating hours
- Closed 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. daily
- Employee requirement
- Annual medical certificate from Health Officer
- Appeal window
- 10 days to City Council
- Inspection authority
- Police and Health officers, any time
- Penalty
- Fine up to $500 per day, Sec. 1-9
Summary
Abilene requires anyone operating a massage establishment to hold a license from the City Secretary before opening. The Chief of Police and the Health Officer must both approve the application in writing, and the location needs a certificate of occupancy from the Building Inspector. Establishments must close between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and staff need annual health certificates.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a massage establishment without first having obtained a license therefor from the City Secretary, in accordance with the provisions of this article. ... No massage establishment shall be kept open for any purpose between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. ... A massage establishment license shall only be issued upon the approval of the Health Officer and the Chief of Police, in writing, and a certificate of occupancy from the Building Inspector.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 14).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 16 of the Abilene Code of Ordinances treats massage establishments as a vetted business rather than a by-right use. Section 16-18 makes it unlawful to operate one without a license from the City Secretary, and section 16-22 conditions issuance on written sign-off from both the Health Officer and the Chief of Police plus a certificate of occupancy. Before that sign-off, section 16-19 requires the Chief of Police to investigate the applicant's criminal history for offenses involving moral turpitude and to check whether the establishment or any employee has committed lewd or indecent acts during the prior licensing period.
Section 16-20 requires the operator to give the Health Department the names and addresses of every employee, each of whom must obtain a medical certificate confirming they are free of infectious disease, renewed annually by the Health Officer. , and section 16-4 bars operating one in connection with any living or sleeping quarters. Section 16-6 requires sanitizing instruments and bathing devices between patrons and laundering towels and linens before reuse. Police and Health Department officers may enter and inspect the premises at any time under section 16-2, and interfering with an inspection is itself grounds for revocation.
Section 16-26 lets the Chief of Police suspend or revoke a license for disorderly conduct, unsanitary conditions, or misuse of the permit, with written notice mailed to the licensee's last known business address.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required license, or in violation of the hours, sanitation, or inspection rules in Chapter 16, is a Code violation punishable under the City's general penalty in section 1-9, a fine up to $500.00, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. The Chief of Police can also revoke or refuse to issue a license outright for disorderly operation, unfitness, or a moral-turpitude conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a city license to open a massage establishment in Abilene?
What hours can an Abilene massage establishment stay open?
Can the City revoke my massage establishment license?
Are barbershops or licensed physical therapists covered by this chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Abilene
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